1       ■  ■'* 

V    ■:'■-:- 


\  V', 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OE  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


SONGS  AND  TALES 

from  the 

DARK  CONTINENT 


CARVED  WOODEN  GOBLET 

(IVesI  Central  Africa) 


Iji  ,  lliwnmi|.|i|ii.liiili..i  III  I     .      I  wmmmmim 


SONGS  mb  TALES  FROM  THE 
DARK  CONTINENT 

Recorded  from  the  Singing  and  the  Sayings 

of 

C.  KAMBA  SIMANGO 

Ndau  Tribe.  Portuguese  East  Africa 

and 

MAD(KANE  CELE 

Zulu  Tribe.  Natal.  Zululand.  South  Africa 


By 


NATALIE  CURTIS 


New  York 


G.  SCHIRMER 


Boston 


mmm^,.    ,         ■■    ,,      d'         ;. "-"n        ,/.:;       .'Hi    ,t,i.  n,    .     ,  ■■.■^ji^!- 


Copyright,  1920,  by  G.  Schirmer 

29231 


CONTENTS 

Page 
Introduction xi 

C.   Kamba  Simango I 

SiMANGo's  Letter  to  the  Reader 12 

Proverbs,  Beliefs  and  Customs,  Songs  and  Tales  of  the  Ndau  Tribe, 

East  Africa 13 

Madikane  Cele 57 

Songs  and  Tales  of  the  Zulu  Tribe,  South  Africa 62 

SiMANGo's   Farewell  to  the   Reader Jj 

Appendix 153 


i:il8B93 


ANALYTICAL  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

The  three  columns  of  page-numbers  denote,  severally:  first  (left-hand)  column^text,  explanatory 
and  descriptive  prose,  song-poems;  middle  column  =  music;  last  (right-hand)  column=interlinear  transla- 
tions in  the  Appendix. 

Text  Music         Appendix 

Introduction:  Africa  and  the  Africans  xi 
Songs,  Tales  and  Proverbs  of  the  Ndau  Tribe 

Kamba  Simango  I 

SiMANGo's  Letter  to  the  Reader  12 

Notes  for  the  Pronunciation  of  Chindau'  Text     13 

African  Proverbs  14                             153 

Beliefs  and  Customs  of  the  Ndau  Tribe  15 

Mate'ka  :  Song  of  the  Rain  Ceremony  (I)  20  81  154 

A  ndi'na  mwa'na  wokwe'nda  na  ye 
No  child  may  journey  with  me 

Mate'ka  :  Song  of  the  Rain  Ceremony  (II)  22  90  155 

Nyamakamba'la  tape'Ia 

Thunder-of-the-East,  zve're  dying 

Man^Ai'ki  :  Spirit-Song  (I)  24  93  156 

Sa'lanyi,  sa'lanyi 
Farewell,  farewell 

Man/Ai'ki  :  Spirit-Song  (II)       -  25  98  156 

Nyam'nje'nje  we'nda 


On  homeward  pinio 


71 


Man/Ai'ki  :  Spirit-Song  (III)  26  99  157 

/-'amalo'j'a  nje'che 
Who  little  on(s  doth  heat 

MANiiAi'Ki  :  Spirit-Song  (IV)         "  27  100  157 

Nyamuzi'z'a  wo'ye 
He  who  knozvs 

Zu'mbo  r/o  /u'do  :  Love-Song  28  loi  157 

A  ndi'na  wa'ngu,  Muzi'ya 
/  have  not  my  own,  Muzi'ya 

[vi] 


T.IBLE  OF  CONTENTS  vn 


30 

106 

1^8 

31 

106 

158 

31 

106 

159 

MAFu'fE  :  Dance  OF  Girls  29  103  157 

Eyo'we,  Kwa'maiwe 

Alas,  Another's  home 

Children's  Songs 

(I)  Mu-to-to-li'le  (Drip-Drop  the  Rain) 

(II)  Cha-Kom'ba-Kom'ba  (Hopping  Song) 

(III)  Mufi'li,  Zu'ma-Zu'ma  (Drying  Song) 

Laboring  Song  (I)  32  107  159 

Kwae'ja  no  makasliot' 
Day  datvns  zvith  freight  to  haul 

Laboring  Chant        •  108 

Kanye',  Icanye'! 
Come  on,  come  on! 

Laboring  Song  (II)  33  108  159 

Ma'le  Kambe'n' 
Money  in  Kamhen^ 

Pwi'ta  :  Dance-Song  (I)  35  no  159 

Ku  muse'ngele  wa  Lu'nde! 
To  hammock  now  for  Lu'nde! 

NiAoKo'oo  :  Dance-Song  (II)  37  114  160 

Chamale'bi'u  (The  Long  Beard) 

N^Ako'do  :  Dance-Song  (III)  38  118  160 

Baba'  V2i  loi^a'la  ngwena'  ino  luma' 
My  father  he  married  a  crocodile  wife 

Kufa'mba  :  Mocking-Song  39  119  161 

Kufa'mba 
To  walk  thus 

Chili'lo  :  Lament  41  120  161 

Ndi'no  muwana'  pi  i'nga  Bala'nku 
Where  shall  I  find  one  like  to  Bala'nku 

Folk-Tales 

(I)  The  Hare  and  the  Tortoise  43 

(II)  The  Hare  and  the  Baboon  44 

(III)  How  the  Animals  Dug  Their  Well  ■  45  ^ 

Chinya'  nje-nie'leka  nie     1  ^         t  , ,/:„ 

„•'.-'.■'        .        ■*         >  Song  I  122  162 

1  m  coming  joggy-jog  trot     J  ° 

Na'ndi  Shu'lo  kupe'mbela-u    1  n         tt  --  ,c^ 

Tj-     ,   jj  ■  >  Song  II  122  162 

Hi,  oh  Hare,  going  away  j  ° 


A-Ul 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


The  Hare's  Dance-Song  :  English  Paraphrase 

(IV)  The  Jackal  and  the  Rooster 

(V)  Death  of  the  Hare 


123 


Song  I 


Legend  and  Song  of  the  Daughter  and  the  Slave 
Lusi'nga,  lusi'nga,  da'ndali! 
0  cord,  O  cord,  whirr! 
Mai  t'a-i-le'j'a  1 «;         TT 

Mother,  she  ivas  saying  /         ° 

^asa-Go're  :  Legend  and  Song  of  the  Sky-  Maiden 
Sam'du'mbi-we'-we',  ndekande' 
0  youth,  I  entreat  thee,  I  pray 

Songs  and  Tales  of  the  Zulu  Tribe 

Madika'ne  Qandeya'ne  Ce'le  :    Autobiographical 
Sketch 

Note  for  the  Pronunciation  of  Zulu  Texts 

Iga'ma  le  'mpi  :  Song  of  War 
Se'nge  sa'ba  naku'pi  we  mako'si? 
Fear  I  aught,  ye  hostile  Kings? 

Iga'ma  la  bantwa'na  :  Song  of  Children 
O  tu'la,  mtwa'na,  O  tu'la 
O  hush  thee,  baby,  0  hush  thee 

Dance-Songs 

Iga'ma  lo  kusi'na:'  Dance-Song  (I) 
Be'ngi  le'le  egqume'ni 
On  the  hillside  I  slumbered 

Iga'ma  lo  kusi'na  :  Dance-Song  (II) 
Dubul'!  U'ngi  bambe'le  i'nto  i'nye 
Shout!  She  kept  me  waiting  for  one  thing 

Zulu  Love-Songs,  or  Songs  of  Meditation 
Iga'ma  lo  ta'ndo  :  Song  of  Love 

(I)  U-ye'ze,  u-ye'ze 
He  Cometh,  he  cometh 

(II)  Uda'li  use'le  ematsho'n' 
My  darling  stayed  in  the  West 

(III)  Awu-yi'ni-ye'lelema'm' 
Ah,  think  of  this,  'lelema'm' 

(IV)  Ngi  hlaigene  nento'mbi  za  se  nza'nsi 

/  saw  some  maidens  coming  from  the  Southland 

Creation  Story 

Sima'ngo's  Farewell  to  the  Reader 


47 
48 

49 

124 

163 

I2S 

163 

51 

127 

164 

57 
62 

63 
66 


68 
69 


71 


133 


135 


136 


139 


164 
165 

167 

168 
168 


71 

73 

143 

168 

74 

145 

169 

74 

146 

170 

75 

148 

170 

76 

77 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 


Carved  Wooden  Goblet  {West  Central  Africa),  Frontispiece 

Native  Africa  xil 

African     Wood-Carving — Boxes,    Bowl,     Drinking-horn 

{West  Central  Africa)  xxiv 

The   Mbi'la   (A  Native  Instrument)  3 

C.  Kamba  Simango  8 

Diviners — Called  bv  the  Whites  "Witch  Doctors"  i6 

African  Textile  Designs  (in  native  plush,  woven  and  cut  from 

palm-fibre)  46 

Madikane  Cele  57 

African  Textile   Design  60 

African  Wood-Carving — Cups  and  Ladle  {West  Central  Africa)  77 

Note — The  cover  design  and  all  incidental  decorations  are  reproductions  of  African  textiles. 


INTRODUCTION 

AFRICA  AND   THE   AFRICANS 

I 

Note. — Ba'ntu  African  words  are  usually  accented  on  the  penultima,  or  syllable  before  the  last. 

The  future  of  the  black  African,  whether  on  the  Dark  Continent  or  in  the 
Americas,  is  to-day  sharply  silhouetted  against  that  red  which  still  burns  in  the 
sky  although  the  fires  or  war  are  quenched.  How  much  colonial  expansion  in 
Africa  and  the  desire  for  it  may  have  contributed  to  the  deep  underlying  causes 
of  the  world-war,  one  fact  is  certain:  the  African,  who  had  seen  his  land  wrested 
from  him  by  wealth-seeking  European  ambition,  was  summoned  to  stand  shoulder 
to  shoulder  with  the  white  man  in  the  white  man's  country  helping  him  to  fight 
his  battles.  And  no  one  questioned  his  loyalty.  The  war  has  taught  the  white 
man  that  he  needs  the  black  as  the  black  man  needs  the  white.  For  neither 
in  their  struggle  nor  in  their  advance  can  races  to-day  be  independent  of  each 
other.  Though  the  quest  for  power,  for  dominion,  for  economic  supremacy  which 
meant  the  oppression  and  exploitation  of  simpler,  weaker  peoples,  recoiled  with 
tragic  fatality  upon  the  white  race  itself — a  boomerang,  slaying  the  thrower — 
yet  the  war  leaped  beyond  the  white  man  and  caught  the  darker  races  in  its  clutch. 
And  though  the  grip  was  hideous  and  bloody,  yet  it  linked  the  world  together; 
and  doubtless,  when  the  dust  shall  clear,  we  shall  find  that  men  of  diverse  colors 
and  creeds,  men  high  and  low,  have  been  brought  to  know  one  another  as  never 
before. 

We  Caucasians  have  known  the  black  race  for  the  most  part  from  the  outside 
only.  We  have  thought  of  the  natives  of  Africa  and  the  Negroes  in  America 
chiefly  as  a  labor  supply.  Though  scholars  have  written  of  Africa  and  of  its 
indigenous  culture,  history  and  folk-lore,  the  white  man  in  general  has  known 
little  of  the  soul  of  the  black  man.  The  African  songs  in  this  book  and  the  various 
types  of  Negro  songs  in  separate  volumes  of  this  same  series'  have  been  gathered 
and  written  down  not  alone  for  their  intrinsic  interest;  they  are  here  offered  for 
what  they  reveal  of  the  mind  and  heart  of  the  black  man  and  of  his  life  and  cus- 
toms. In  the  folk-music  of  a  people  is  imaged  the  racial  soul;  to  simple  or  prim- 
itive men  who  are  close  to  nature  and  are  impelled  by  her  creative  spirit,  song 

'See  Negro  Folk-Songs,  Hampton  Series,  Books  I,  II,  III,  I\',  recorded  by  Natalie  Curtis.  Published 
by  G.  Schirmer,  New  York. 

[  Xi  ] 


XII 


SONGS  AND  TALES 


is  a  vital  part  of  existence  itself.  Music  is  not  only  an  individual  expression  ac- 
companying daily  tasks  and  reflecting  experiences;  more  than  that,  it  is  the  voice 
of  tribal,  even  of  racial  prayer;  the  moulding,  in  art-form,  of  communal  group 
sentiment;  and  the  living  fluent  utterance  of  a  people's  inspiration.  Particularly 
is  this  true  of  African  song.  For  the  black  man  is  naturally  both  musical  and  emo- 
tional: unreserved  in  expression,  warm,  impulsive,  intuitive,  deeply  impression- 
able and  quickly  responsive.  May  those  who  look  within  these  pages  clearly 
see  that  the  human  family  is  near  of  kin  and  that  basic  emotions  of  love,  of  sorrow, 
of  rejoicing  and  of  prayer,  whether  men  be  primitive  or  advanced,  white,  yellow, 
red  or  black,  are  the  same  root-feelings  planted  in  us  all. 

This  work  of  research  into  the  music  and  song-poems  of  the  black  race  is 
known  as  the  "Hampton  Series,"  and  has  been  pursued  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Hampton  Normal  and  Agricultural  Institute  in  Virginia,  the  pioneer  industrial 
training-school  for  undeveloped  races  in  America.  Besides  hundreds  of  American 
Negroes  and  Indians,  Hampton  has  numbered  among  Its  students  native  Africans 
who  have  come  the  long  way  from  the  Dark  Continent  to  equip  themselves  for 
service  to  their  race  at  home.  It  is  with  the  help  of  two  of  these  sons  of  that 
ancient  tropic  world  that  the  Songs  and  Tales  in  this  book  havejjeen  set  on  p^aper. 
Ka'mba  SIma'ngo,'  of  Portuguese  East  Africa,  and  Madika'ne  Qande'yana  Ce'le,^ 

'For  the  phonetic  spelling  of  Sima'ngo's  name,  see  Appendix. 
^For  the  phonetic  spelling  of  Ce'le's  name,  see  Appendix. 


NATIVE  AFRICA 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT xiu 

of  Zululand,  have  offered  to  the  recorder  this  folk-lore  of  their  tribes  to  form  a  book 
which  should  hold  in  permanence  the  unwritten  music  and  poetry  of  their  race. 
For  even  as,  in  Africa,  carved  wood  and  stone  bear  testimony  to  the  ancient  Afri- 
can art-sense  in  design  and  sculpture,  so  would  page  and  pencil  here  record  endur- 
ing symbols  of  African  music  which  should  thus  be  unforgotten. 

What  does  our  geography  teach  us  of  Africa  to-day?  The  black  native, 
fighting  in  the  white  man's  war  in  Europe  (and  at  home  loyally  holding  in  abey- 
ance his  grievance  against  white  injustice  to  fight  against  even  his  own  brethren 
in  the  extension  of  the  world-war  into  Africa),  this  child  of  the  Dark  Continent 
has  indeed  a  curious  status  in  his  own  land.  The  map  to-day  shows  two  small 
patches  called  "Black  Man's  Africa" — two  little  isolated  spots  divided  by  the 
width  of  the  entire  continent:  Abyssinia  on  the  east,  the  ancient  stronghold  of 
those  earliest  black  Christians;  and  Liberia  on  the  west,  the  modern  refuge  of  the 
Christian  freedmen  from  America.  All  the  rest  of  the  huge  continent,  a  land  as 
large  as  North  America  and  the  whole  of  Europe  combined,  is  divided  between 
European  "spheres  of  influence."' 

Yet  in  ipite  of  conquest,  slavery,  oppression  and  exploitation;  in  spite  of 
strange  new  diseases  that  sweep  in  death-dealing  epidemics  through  villages  and 
communities;  in  spite  of  the  curse  of  alcohol  and  the  demoralization  and  disin- 
tegration that  inevitably  follow,  the  black  race,  vital  and  elastic,  steadily  in- 
creases. European  influence  has  wrought  this  good  to  the  African:  it  has  practi- 
cally abolished  the  decimations  of  intertribal  warfare.  Black  Africa  has  now  a 
population  of  about  two  hundred  million  souls.  South  of  the  Equator  there  are 
fifty  million  people  speaking  the  Ba'ntu-  dialects  alone.  The  British  South 
African  Union  holds  some  five  million  blacks — four  to  six  natives  for  every  white 
man.  In  the  Western  hemisphere  the  black  population  of  South  America  is 
nine  and  a  half  million;  and  of  North  America,  some  eighteen  million,  of  which 
twelve  million  dwell  in  the  United  States.  Seventy  per  cent,  of  the  population 
of  the  West  Indies  is  colored;  colored,  too,  is  sixty-four  per  cent,  of  the  people 
of  Bermuda;  thirty-five  per  cent,  of  Brazil;  nine  per  cent,  of  Central  America. 
The  United  States  counts  over  ten  per  cent,  of  its  entire  population  Negro, 
which  means  that  one  of  every  ten  persons  in  this  country  is  colored.  Surely  a 
race  now  numbering  close  on  three  hundred  million  people  scattered  by  the 
slave-trade  throughout  the  world,  should  evoke  serious  consideration.  Should 
we  not  indeed  do  well  to  know  more  of  these  dark  neighbors  who  now  form  a 
part  of  the  future  civilization  of  so  many  nations.^ 

iFrance's  influence  extends  across  about  45  per  cent,  of  the  total  area  of  the  Dark  Continent,  con- 
trolling in  the  North  the  French  Sahara,  Algeria,  and  Morocco;  in  the  West,  Alauretania,  Senegal,  French 
Guinea,  the  Ivory  Coast,  Dahomey  and  the  French  Congo;  while  toward  the  centre  of  the  continent  lies 
French  Equatorial  Africa.  The  Island  of  Madagascar  to  the  Southeast,  also  controlled  by  France,  is  alone 
larger  than  France  herself.  Great  Britain  holds,  in  the  North,  Egypt  and  the  Egyptian  Sudan;  in  the  East 
British  East  Africa,  the  Protectorate  of  Bechuanaland,  the  Somali  Coast  Protectorate,  Rhodesia;  on  the 
West,  Sierra  Leone,  the  British  Gold  Coast,  Ashanti  and  Northern  Nigeria;  to  the  South,  the  Union  of 
South  Africa,  comprising  the  Colony  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Natal,  the  Orange  Free  State  and  the 
Transvaal.  Italy  holds  Tripolitania  on  the  North,  Eritrea  on  the  Red  Sea,  and  Italian  Somaliland  on  the 
Indian  Ocean.  Belgium  owns  that  great  portion  of  central  Equatorial  Africa  known  as  the  Belgian  Congo; 
Spain  has  a  comparatively  small  slice  of  the  Northwestern  coast  called  Rio  de  Oro;  while  Portugal  still 
claims  a  long  section  of  the  Eastern  coast,  facing  Madagascar,  known  as  Portuguese  East  Africa,  and  on 
the  West  coast  the  land  called  Angola.  Before  the  world-war,  the  German  colonies  comprised  German 
Southwest  Africa  and  the  Kamerun,  German  East  Africa  on  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  Togoland  on  the  Atlantic. 

-Bantu — See  page  ix. 


xiv  SONGS  AND  TALES 


Whence  came  this  hardy  and  fecund  race  of  such  apparently  unlimited 
capacity  for  assimilation  and  adaptation?  Speculations  are  many,  for  traces  of 
the  ancient  kin  of  this  black  people  are  found  along  the  Mediterranean  basin  and 
as  far  east  as  distant  Polynesia.  Dr.  Franz  Boas,  the  well-known  anthropologist, 
says  that  "negroid  races  are  found  on  the  Andaman  Islands,  in  the  interior  of  the 
Malay  Peninsula,  in  the  Philippines,  New  Guinea  and  Melanesia,  Tasmania; 
they  are  mixed  with  many  Polynesian  tribes."  But  science  has  as  yet  discovered 
no  certain  geographical  point  of  origin  for  the  race  whose  skin  for  untold  centuries 
was  taught  by  nature  to  resist  the  heat  of  a  tropic  sun. 

It  is  thought  that  the  aboriginal  people  of  South  Africa  were  the  pygmies, 
a  stunted,  dwarfish  folk  of  the  jungles  who  are  related  to  the  Bushmen,'  a  yellowish 
race  with  somewhat  slanting  eyes  who  lived — and  still  live — by  hunting  alone. 
It  is  supposed  that  these  African  aborigines  of  prehistoric  times  were  pushed 
steadily  southward  by  migratory  black  tribes  who  were  increasing  in  population, 
even  as  the  American  Indians  in  our  own  time  were  thrust  westward  by  white 
invaders.  Now,  with  the  added  pressure  of  European  colonization  in  Africa, 
the  Bushmen  have  diminished  almost  to  the  point  of  extinction;  but  they  have 
silently  left  immortal  records  of  their  race  in  the  art  of  their  primitive  cave- 
paintings.  The  doom  of  annihilation  is  also  rapidly  overtaking  the  Hottentots 
of  South  Africa,  another  yellowish  race  (thought  by  some  authorities  to  be  a 
mixture  of  Blacks  and  Bushmen)  who  were  a  numerous,  healthy  and  pastoral 
folk  when  first  encountered  by  Europeans. 

But  there  are  many  peoples  who  have  been  long  in  Africa  besides  the  pygmies, 
Bushmen,  Hottentots  and  Blacks.  In  the  North  are  Caucasian  Berbers,  the  Liby- 
ans of  ancient  history;  the  Moors,  a  blend  between  Berber  and  Arab,  comparative 
newcomers;  the  Hamitic  people  of  the  Sahara;  the  Jews,  colonists  in  North 
Africa  since  the  seventh  century;  and  lastly,  but  most  important  of  races  in  all 
North  Africa,  the  Arabs  and  other -Mohammedan  branches  of  the  great  Semitic 
family.  Firmly  rooted  since  the  seventh  century  when  the  conquering  hosts  of 
Islam  swept  westward  over  Africa,  the  Mohammedan  has  stamped  the  sharp 
impress  of  his  uncompromising  religion  and  his  cultural  characteristics  upon 
both  subject  and  neighboring  peoples  and  tribes.  Nor  may  we  forget  in  North 
Africa  the  descendants  of  the  ancient  Egyptians.  For  while  the  great  black 
race  spreads  Southward  in  many  branches  and  several  linguistic  stocks,  we  must 
remember  that  since  earliest  times,  even  before  the  days  of  Egypt's  splendor, 
strains  of  black  blood  flowed  into  the  white  North,  while  the  great  caravan  routes 
and  the  trade  in  gold,  ivory  and  other  treasure  brought  a  filtering  of  white  blood 
southward.  Particularly  is  this  true  of  the  Semitic  influence  carried  by  Arab 
traders  across  the  Red  Sea  to  the  east  coast,  and  in  later  centuries  down  from 
the  Alohammedan  North. - 


'The  yellow  Bushmen  of  Africa  are  not  to  be  confused  with  the  Bushmen  of  Australia,  who  are  black. 
Both  races  received  this  colloquial  name  from  early  explorers  and  settlers  because  they  were  savage  people 
living  in  the  "Bush." 

2See  introduction  to  "Negro  Folk-Songs."  Book  II,  Natalie  Curtis,  published  by  G.  Schirmer. — Some 
authorities  place  the  date  of  Arab  colonists  in  East  Africa  at  about  300  B.  C.  These  polygamous  colonists 
are  said  to  have  taken  black  wives  from  the  surrounding  Ba'ntu  tribes. 


FROM   THE  DARK  CONTINENT xv 

The  two  tribes  represented  in  this  book,  the  Zulu  and  the  Ndau,'  or  Shan- 
ga'ne,  belong  to  the  great  linguistic  family  called  Ba'ntu,  a  word  of  their  own 
language  meaning  "The  People."  The  earliest  trace — and  this  by  inference 
only — that  we  have  of  this  stock  is  in  the  region  of  the  Great  Lakes  in  Central 
Africa,  whence  this  sturdy,  powerful  folk  spread  southward  and  across  the  con- 
tinent from  ocean  to  ocean.  In  the  eighteenth  century,  under  the  great  Zulu 
chieftain  Tsha'ka-  ("the  black  Napoleon  of  South  Africa,"  as  he  was  called),  the 
Ba'ntu  power  reached  its  zenith  to  be  finally  crushed  only  by  the  European. 
It  must  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  all  tribes  speaking  languages  of  Ba'ntu 
stock  were  as  fiercely  militant  as  the  Zulu,  for  the  Ndau  people  were  particularly 
peaceful,  agricultural  and  pastoral,  and  like  many  other  tribes  were  conquered 
subjects  of  Zulu  aggression. 

When  first  encountered  by  Europeans  the  Blacks  of  South  Africa  were  found 
to  be  above  the  Bushmen  and  Hottentots  in  development.  They  practised 
agriculture;  they  were  herdsmen  who  counted  wealth  by  cattle;  they  had  a  clearly 
defined  political  system  abounding  in  laws  as  to  the  kingdom,  the  village,  the 
household,  marriage;  the  inheritance,  transmission  and  exchange  of  property; 
crime  and  its  punishment.  The  average  white  man  is  apt  to  conceive  of  primitive 
people  as  men  who  in  their  relation  to  each  other  have  no  definite  social  organi- 
zation; whereas  truth  points  to  the  reverse.  An  unbiased  study  of  social  organi- 
zation among  primitive  men  leads  usually  to  a  much  more  respectful  conception  of 
that  sense  of  law  apparently  inherent  in  the  human  race.  But  in  Africa  alone  have 
we  found  crude  men  possessing  a  knowledge  unknown  to  our  European  ancestors 
■ — the  use  of  iron.  All  over  Africa  there  sounded,  since  ancient  times,  the  forging 
Hammer.  Dr.  Franz  Boas  says :  "It  seems  likely  that  at  a  time  when  the  European 
was  still  satisfied  with  rude  stone  tools,  the  African  had  invented  or  adopted  the 
art  of  smelting  iron.  Consider  for  a  moment  what  this  invention  has  meant  for 
the  advance  of  the  human  race.  Neither  ancient  Europe,  nor  ancient  Western 
Asia,  nor  ancient  China,  knew  the  iron,  and  everything  points  to  its  introduction 
from  Africa."  In  olden  times  as  to-day,  the  Blacks  were  doubtless  skilled  crafts- 
men, fashioning  weapons  and  ornaments  with  rare  artistic  sense.  This  fact  alone 
places  them  high  in  the  scale  of  primitive  culture. 

Of  the  tribal  organization  of  many  of  the  Ba'ntu,  Dr.  W.  .".  B.  Du  Bois'  says: 
"Each  tribe  lived  by  itself  in  towns  with  from  5,000  to  10,000  inhabitants  sur- 
rounded by  fields  of  millet,  beans  and  melons.  Beyond  these  roamed  their  cattle, 
sheep  and  goats."  There  were  smaller  villages  as  well  and  also  settlements 
where  the  huts  were  widely  scattered.  Each  family  was  governed  by  the  father* 
of  the  large  polygamous  household  with  its  group  of  huts  for  the  different  wives 
and  their  progeny;  each  village  was  governed  by  a  governor,  and  each  tribe  by  a 
ruling  chief  or  King.*  According  to  Dr.  Du  Bois,  the  government  vested  in 
fathers  and  chiefs  varied  among  different  African  tribes  from  absolute  despotism 

'In  the  dialect  of  this  Ba'ntu  group,  the  name  of  the  tribe  is  Ndau,  the  people  are  called  /'andau'  and 
the  language  Chindau'.     For  description  of  the  Ndau  tribe,  see  pages  1,   28. 
^Or  Cha'ka.     See  pages  28,  63. 

'See  "The  Negro,"  W.  E.  B.  Du  Bois,  published  by  Henry  Holt  &  Co.,  New  York. 
^See  allusions  to  the  \"eneration  in  which  the  father  of  a  household  is  held  in  Africa,  page  15. 
'For  descriptions  of  the  power  of  the  King,  see  page  63. 


xvi  SONGS  AND  TALES 


to  limited  monarchies,  almost  republican  in  character.  The  idea  of  private 
property  never  included  land,  which  was  conceived  as  being  for  the  use  of  the 
people. 

The  elaboration  of  African  law  has  often  been  a  source  of  great  perplexity  and 
annoyance  to  missionaries  and  other  Europeans  who  unconsciously  found  their 
relations  with  the  natives  complicated  by  legal  transgressions  foreign  to  white  men. 
Whereas  with  the  white  race,  the  usual  idea  of  justice  metes  out  punishment 
to  the  offender  while  the  State  assumes  the  position  of  avenger,  the  native 
Shanga'ne  Ba'ntu  law  of  Portuguese  East  Africa  is  based  on  reparation.  For 
instance,  if  a  man  steals,  he  or  his  family  must  repair  the  theft  by  giving  an 
equivalent  to  the  robbed  person,  or  to  that  person's  relatives.  If  a  man  takes  a 
human  life,  instead  of  forfeiting  his  own  life,  which  would  mean  simply  more 
death,  he  must  repair  the  wrong  by  giving  life  to  replace  the  life  that  he  took: 
he  or  his  family  must  give  children  to  the  family  of  the  murdered  person.  For  a 
man  to  have  to  give  up  his  children  is  in  itself  a  grave  punishment  and  in  a 
primitive  State,  where  every  individual  is  important  to  the  work  of  field  or 
household,  to  the  care  of  cattle  and  to  the  defense  of  the  people,  one  can  well 
see  how  just  would  be  this  idea  of  restitution.  In  fact,  the  principle  of  life  for 
life,  rather  than  of  death  for  death,  and  of  reparation  instead  of  vengeance, 
shows  a  constructive  logic.  Only  the  crime  of  witchcraft,  which  is  believed  to 
imply  supernatural  powers,  receives  a  death  penalty,  and  even  this  was  not 
always  accorded  by  the  Shanga'ne  people.  Europeans  seem  to  agree  upon  the 
hard-headed  logic  and  the  clear  sense  of  equity  possessed  by  the  Blacks,  who  have 
a  very  great  respect  for  law  and  the  giver  of  law.  The  age-old  institution  of 
polygamy,  practically  universal  in  Africa,  presents  many  difficulties  to  the 
European  advocate  of  monogamy,  because  it  is  interwoven  with  the  whole 
economic  and  social  fabric  of  native  law,  each  wife  with  her  offspring  having 
her  particular  place  in  the  household  and  in  the  distribution  and  inheritance 
of  property.  Some  writers  have  drawn  analogies  between  the  polygamous  system 
of  the  Zulus  and  of  the  ancient  Hebrews,  arguing  from  marked  similarities  that 
the  Blacks  are  remnants  of  that  "lost  tribe"  which  used  to  present  so  many  easy 
solutions  to  questions  of  race-origins  before  the  science  of  ethnology  had  spoken. 
Such  naive  deducti,ns  at  least  serve  to  remind  us  that  the  history  of  races  is  full 
of  natural  human  analogies,  though  in  this  case  they  may  with  greater'truth  em- 
phasize that  contact  of  Black  and  Semitic  cultures  offered,  as  has  been  said,  by  the 
ancient  slave-trade  and  the  merchant  traffic  in  Africa. 

Why,  we  may  ask,  when  in  the  "high  spots"  of  native  attainment,  history 
tells  of  Black  kingdoms  and  empires,  prosperous  trading  cities  and  merchant 
towns  possessing  in  some  respects  almost  as  high  a  civilization  as  the  walled 
towns  of  feudal  mediaeval  Europe — why  has  the  Black  race,  as  a  whole,  remained 
primitive  in  Africa? 

According  to  Dr.  Du  Bois,  the  main  cause  lies  in  the  topography  of  the  coun- 
try, which  presents  few  natural  barriers  between  adjoining  tribes,  so  that  tossing 
waves  of  migratory  people  caused  constant,  decimating  warfare  and  the  taking 
of  captives,  which  in  turn  gave  rise  to  a  native  slave-trade,  utterly  disrupting 
local  achievement  and  advance.  Another  cause  for  the  stagnation  of  native 
culture  lay  undoubtedly  in  the  enervation  of  the  climate  in  many  parts  of  the 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT xvii 

continent.  In  our  times  the  widespread  havoc  caused  by  the  European  slave- 
trade  and  the  subsequent  exploitation  of  native  Africa  brought  such  destruction 
as  would  have  annihilated  a  race  less  hardy,  even  as  white  aggrandizement  and 
tyranny  are  fast  destroying  the  American  Indian. 

But  the  Black  race  seems  destined  for  a  future.  One  key  to  that  future 
lies  in  the  impressionability  and  adaptability  of  the  Negro,  as  evidenced  by  the 
profound  hold  which  Christianity  has  taken  on  the  lives  of  converted  natives  and 
of  the  colored  people  in  America. 

II 

Some  idea  as  to  the  spiritual  beliefs  of  the  pagan  Blacks  will  be  found  in  the 
Chindau'  section  of  this  book.  The  conception  of  Malu'le,i  a  supreme  force,  would 
seem  to  approximate  the  impersonality  of  the  American  Indians'  "Great  Spirit." 
This  belief  in  a  vague,  unknowable,  creative  power  seems,  however,  far  less  vital 
in  shaping  the  thoughts  and  conduct  of  the  /^andau'  than  the  well-defined  spiritism 
which  forms  the  basis  of  Ba'ntu  supernatural  conception.  The  omnipresence  and 
the  power  of  the  spirits  of  the  dead  to  affect  the  living,  even  to  enter  into  men's 
bodies  and  control  the  thoughts  and  actions  of  those  thus  obsessed,  such  a  spiritu- 
alistic interpretation  of  life  makes  most  of  Black  Africa  "mediumistic,"  and  has 
given  rise  to  an  immense  amount  of  fantastic  superstition.  Through  this  tangled 
terror  of  charms,  fetishes,  propitiation  of  spirits  and  exorcising  of  demons,  stalks 
the  benumbing  fear  of  witchcraft,  casting  its  blighting  shadow  over  nearly  every 
phase  of  native  life.  There  can  be  absolutely  no  doubt  that  witchcraft  and  its 
alarms  constitute  to-day  one  of  the  greatest  obstacles  to  the  progress  of  the  black 
man  in  Africa.  And  the  white  friend,  whether  missionary  or  layman,  cannot  do 
better  than  to  lift  this  terrible  shade  from  the  mind  and  the  path  of  the  credulous 
native.^  The  fear  of  witchcraft  is  indeed  so  dominant  in  Black  Africa  that  it 
has  tended  to  convince  the  white  man  that  the  native  is  a  being  of  definitely 
limited  intelligence,  incapable  of  higher  development.  But  before  we  adopt  this 
superficial  conclusion  let  us  stop  to  learn  from  science  and  from  history  that  the 
African  is  only  passing  through  a  period  of  development  wherein  he  holds  beliefs 
common  to  mankind  at  large  at  certain  stages  of  mental  evolution.  In  his  ex- 
cellent book  on  Southwest  Africa,^  Lord  Bryce  says  of  African  superstitions: 
"Considering,  however,  that  nearly  all  the  ancient  world  held  similar  beliefs  and 
that  a  large  part  of  the  modern  world,  even  in  Europe,  still  clings  to  them,  the 
persistence  of  these  interesting  superstitions  need  excite  no  surprise,  nor  are 
they  productive  of  much  practical  ill  now  that  the  witch-doctor  is  no  longer 
permitted  to  do  men  to  death." 

It  is  perhaps  a  relic  of  our  own  primitive  manner  of  thinking  that  when  deal- 
ing with  less  developed  races  we  are  quick  to  denounce  in  others  faults  which  we 
have  ourselves  barely  outgrown.  In  view  of  our  self-complacency  it  is  startling  to 
realize  that  during  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth  (that  brilliant  period  of  blossom 

'See  page  15. 

Tor  description  of  the  splendid  work  done  by  some  Christian  missionaries  in  Africa,  sec  the  story  of 
Kamba  Simango,  page  1. 

'"Impressions  of  South  Africa,"  by  James  Bryce.     Published  by  the  Century  Company. 


xviii  SONGS  AND  TALES 


and  rich  fruitage  in  English  intellectual  life)  no  fewer  than  three  thousand  witches 
were  put  to  death  in  one  month.  It  is  only  about  two  hundred  years  since  the 
last  witches  were  officially  executed  in  England,  only  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
since  they  were  condemned  in  Germany,  while  in  America,  whither  men  had 
come  seeking  "freedom  to  worship  God,"  the  hanging  of  witches  was  an  un- 
happy and  well-known  feature  of  early  Colonial  life. 

Since  we  of  the  white  race  (who  have  behind  us  science,  philosophy  and  the 
art  of  printing  with  its  wide  dissemination  of  knowledge)  have  only  recently 
broken  the  bonds  of  the  same  fears  that  still  shackle  the  native  African,  is  it  just 
to  condemn  the  unlettered  man  of  the  Dark  Continent  as  a  constitutionally  in- 
ferior being.^  Should  we  not  rather  quote  to  ourselves  the  satire  of  the  Chindau' 
songi  which  tells  us  how  he  who  holds  himself  wise  always  knows  more  about  the 
faults  of  others  than  he  does  about  his  own.^  As  we  read  in  this  book  how  the 
African  diviner,  entranced  and  possessed  of  a  familiar  spirit,  rocks  to  and  fro  while 
the  encircling  onlookers  chant  a  spirit-song,  let  us  not  forget  the  mediumistic 
circle  of  our  own  day  with  its  price  of  admission  and  its  tambourines,  combined 
with  hymns  and  music-boxes!  Seriously,  a  close  student  of  these  Chindau'  be- 
liefs cannot  but  wonder  whether  indeed  a  scientific  comparative  study  of  psychic 
phenomena  in  native  Africa  might  not  yield  something  of  value  to  modern 
psychology.  A  naive,  unselfconscious  people  among  whom  psychic  phenomena 
are  recognized  as  regular  occurrences  and  important  matters  of  life,  might  reward 
scientific  investigation  with  a  new  angle  of  light  on  the  obscurer  problems  of  the 
human  spirit. 

Indeed,  the  whole  pronouncement  of  Negro  inferiority  is  a  verdict  which  has 
been  denied  by  some  anthropologists  as  an  unproved  assertion.  Dr.  Franz 
Boas  says,  "An  unbiased  estimate  of  the  anthropological  evidence  so  far  brought 
forward  does  not  permit  us  to  countenance  the  belief  in  a  racial  inferiority  which 
would  unfit  an  individual  of  the  Negro  race  to  take  his  part  in  modern  civilization. 
We  do  not  know  of  any  demand  made  on  the  human  body  or  mind  in  modern 
life  that  anatomical  and  ethnological  evidence  would  prove  to  be  beyond  the  power 
of  the  Negro.  "- 

Granting  that  it  may  be  years  before  the  black  race  as  a  whole  attains  the 
intellectual  development  of  the  white,  must  we  not  concede  that  there  are  qual- 
ities other  than  those  of  the  intellect  alone  that  may  also  aid  in  the  progress  of 
human  beings.'  We  have  had  ample  proof  in  this  country  of  the  ascendency  of 
the  religious  nature  of  the  Negro  over  conditions  of  bondage  and  oppression. 
Should  we  not  seriously  weigh  the  dynamic  force  of  Negro  emotions  and  aspira- 
tions, rightly  directed.'  Are  these  not  attributes  of  human  nature  important  to 
progress,  since  they  also  go  to  build  up  character.'  Do  not  qualities  of  loyalty, 
affection,  kind-heartedness,  cheerfulness,  and  the  power  for  self-sacrifice,  contrib- 
ute toward  a  man's  advancement.'  Can  we  forget  that  in  our  own  civil  war 
the  white  masters  who  went  forth  to  fight  against  the  liberation  of  their  slaves, 
unquestioningly  left  their  homes  and  property,  their  wives  and  children,  to  the 
care  of  those  same  slaves,  confident  of  the  Negro's  loyalty.'  Has  any  oppressed 
and  subject  white  race,  during  the  world-war,  surpassed  this  faith  to  a  trust.' 

'See  pages  27,  100. 

^Atlanta  University  Publication  No.  11. 


FROM   THE  DARK  CONTINENT xix 

Have  not  we  in  America  seen  in  the  Negro — segregated,  discriminated  against, 
mobbed  and  murdered — a  long-suffering  patience,  an  absence  of  resentment,  a 
sunny  good  temper  that  would  seem  heroic  were  it  not  so  simple  and  child-like? 
Do  not  such  traits  argue  well  for  the  future  of  a  race?  If  even  a  semblance  of 
human  consideration  were  to-day  accorded  the  Negro,  might  not  the  promise 
offered  by  these  characteristics  leap  to  fulfillment?  Shall  we  who  call  ourselves 
his  superiors  wait  until  the  Negro  at  last  forces  us  to  yield  him  justice?' 

A  certain  gentleness  even  in  brawny  men  makes  the  Negro  naturally  a  ready 
friend.  That  gentleness  is  emphasized  in  this  book  by  the  story  of  Ka'mba 
Siman'go,  whose  white  mistress  when  starting  on  a  journey  left  behind  her  all 
her  children,  including  a  nursing  baby,  in  the  care  of  the  African  boy.-  Indeed, 
in  Africa  men  are  often  employed  by  the  whites  as  nurses,  while  in  America  the 
figure  of  "Uncle  Remus"  typifies  that  tenderness  for  children  that  so  often  made 
the  Negro  the  trusted  and  life-long  friend  of  his  master's  household.  The  folk- 
tales told  by  "Uncle  Remus"  find  their  counterpart  in  this  book,^  where  the 
African  ancestor  of  "Br'er  Rabbit"  is  seen  in  "Shu'lo,"  the  Hare,  who  outwits 
the  other  animals  with  the  same  whimsey  of  inventive  humor.  These  delightful 
African  tales,  so  keen  in  characterization  and  wit,  so  full  of  drama,  so  complete 
in  their  unerring  triumph  of  climax,  are  another  proof  of  the  link  between  the 
American  Negro  and  his  mother-land. 

Ill 

Art  is  the  imperishable  legacy  of  a  people;  its  influence,  caught  up  and  trans- 
mitted to  other  generations  and  different  lands,  is  like  an  unending  vibration. 
As  a  creator  of  beauty  the  black  man  is  capable  of  contributing  to  the  great  art 
of  the  world. 

The  Negro's  pronounced  gift  for  music  is  to-day  widely  recognized.  That 
gift,  brought  to  America  in  slave-ships,  was  nurtured  by  that  mother  of  woe, 

'Of  the  possibilities  of  the  black  race  we  can  perhaps  best  judge  by  the  advance  of  the  colored  people 
of  the  United  States  in  the  half-century  since  the  abolition  of  slavery.  In  forming  an  estimate,  we  must 
remember  that  progress  in  America  has  been  made  from  a  state  of  complete  ignorance  of  everything  in  the 
white  man's  world  except  the  bondsman's  work  in  farm,  field  and  household;  we  must  take  into  consideration 
the  fact  that  the  Negroes  were  a  transplanted  people  originally  knowing  nothing  of  the  type  of  culture  sur- 
rounding them;  and  we  must  not  forget  that  the  majority  of  white  people  in  this  country  have  preferred  to 
keep  the  Negro  down  rather  than  to  help  him  up.  Yet  the  children  of  those  slaves  who  fifty  years  ago  were 
utterly  illiterate,  can  now  meet  the  needs  of  even  the  most  advanced  members  of  their  race.  There  are 
Negro  doctors  of  divinity,  lawyers,  physicians,  architects,  teachers,  musicians,  bankers  and  business  men  in 
nearly  all  the  walks  of  life.  In  1913  there  were  in  all  some  43,000  Negro  business  enterprises,  including 
real  estate  and  insurance  companies,  showing  that  race  prejudice,  instead  of  crushing  the  Negro,  has  but 
forced  him  to  develop  within  his  race  the  power  to  minister  to  nearly  all  the  economic  and  cultural 
necessities  of  a  civilized  people. 

As  slaves  in  this  country  the  blacks  had  had  no  experience  in  property  holding,  nor  had  they  had  in 
Africa  any  idea  of  the  Individual  ownership  of  land.  Yet  in  1910,  not  fifty  years  since  Emancipation,  there 
were  in  the  Southern  States  nearly  two  million  Negro  homes  of  which  nearly  half  a  million  were  owned. 
In  1913,  seventy  per  cent,  of  the  race  was  already  literate,  the  Negroes  having  themselves  raised  a  million 
and  a  half  dollars  toward  their  own  education;  while  in  the  same  year,  the  total  wealth  accumulated  by  the 
race  was  valued  at  )!700,000,000.  These  statistical  facts,  quoted  from  the  Bureau  of  Census  in  Washington, 
D.  C.,  rather  than  proving  constitutional  race  inferiority,  would  seem  to  argue  that  the  Negro  is  not  only 
quick  to  respond  to  the  influences  of  environment,  but  also  strone  enough  to  endure  and  thrive  amazingly 
in  spite  of  discouragement.  If  those  who  survive  are  the  "fit,"  the  Negro  has  abundantly  proved  his  right  to 
live  and  develop. 

-See  page  3. 
'See  page  43. 


XX  SONGS  AND  TALES 


human  slavery,  till  out  of  suffering  and  toil  there  sprang  a  music  which  speaks 
to  the  heart  of  mankind — the  prayer-song  of  the  American  Negro.'  In  Africa  is 
rooted  the  parent  stem  of  that  outflowering  of  Negro  folk-song  in  other  lands. 

The  songs  in  this  book  prove  in  the  native  African  a  genuine  art-sense. 
Most  primitive  music  is  expressed  in  rhythm  and  melody  alone,  all  voices 
singing  in  unison  or  in  octaves  usually  conceived  as  unison.  But  the  African  has 
evolved  polyphony  of  a  rarely  interesting  type,  and,  from  the  evidence  at  hand, 
it  is  safe  to  assume  that  at  a  time  when  Europe  was  laboriously  making  crude 
experiments  in  polyphonic  art,  the  African  had  already  developed  part-singing  to 
the  elaborate  degree  found  among  black  native  peoples  to-day;  while  the  round, 
or  catch,  had  probably  been  in  use  in  Africa  for  hundreds  of  years.  It  was  this 
same  polyphonic  instinct  which  developed  in  America  into  the  intuitive  gift  for 
extemporized  harmony  so  marked  among  the  Negroes  of  the  United  States. 

The  complex  rhythms  of  the  Chindau'  songs  in  this  volume  will  doubtless 
offer  new  suggestions  to  even  the  erudite.  Here  are  rhythmic  units  unfamiliar 
except,  perhaps,  to  those  ultra-modern  musicians  who,  like  modern  painters,  are 
breaking  away  from  inherited  traditions  and  are  eclectically  seeking  ever  wider 
and  more  varied  means  of  expression,  studying  the  ancient  art  of  the  brown  and 
yellow  races,  even  turning  for  inspiration  to  the  art  of  primitive  man.  The 
forceful,  free,  barbaric  outlines  of  many  of  these  African  melodies  offer  to  modern 
music  a  new  silhouette,  nor  can  we  look  with  other  than  profound  respect  upon  the 
sense  of  form,  symmetrical  and  beautiful,  which  builds  these  songs  into  well- 
balanced  musical  structures. 

The  songs  of  the  Rain  Ceremony-  are  particularly  interesting  examples  of 
rhythmic  organization.  Founded  upon  the  steady  rhythm  of  the  moving  feet 
that  circle  in  slow  dance,  the  verses  of  the  songs  are  nevertheless  grouped  (as  are 
the  dancers)  around  the  drum,  the  "heart"  of  the  song,  which  throbs  a  wordless 
invocation  more  potent  than  the  voices  of  men.  The  chant  of  the  solo  voice, 
followed  by  chorus,  is  here  seen  as  a  common  feature  of  African  song  which  may 
be  the  forerunner  of  that  form  prevalent  in  America  called  by  the  Blacks  "verses 
and  chorus." 

The  African  instinct  for  rhythm  has  developed  syncopation'  to  a  high  degree 

and  has  given  rise  to  a  pronounced  individualization  of  the  drum,  which  in  the 

hand  of  a  native  seems  a  live  and  speaking  thing.     Different  qualities  of  tone  as 

well  as  the  most  subtle  gradations  of  rhythmic  accentuation  are  made  by  striking 

the  drum  in  different  ways  with  the  palms,  with  the  fingers,  or  with  rubber-tipped 

sticks.     Through  this  highly  varied  manipulation  the  African  drum  possesses  a 

veritable  language  by  means  of  which  signals  are  given.     A  natural  response  to 

'See  "Religious  Folk-Songs  of  the  Negro,"  Hampton  Institute  Press,  Hampton,  Virginia;  "Jubilee  and 
Plantation  Songs,"  Oliver  Ditson;  "Calhoun  Plantation  Songs,"  by  Emily  Halowell,  C.  VV.  Thompson  Co., 
Boston,  Mass.;  "Folk-Songs  of  the  American  Negro,"  Work  Bros.,  Fiske  University  Press,  Nashville, 
Tenn.;  "Afro-American  Folksongs,"  by  H.  E.  Krehbiel,  G.  Schirmer,  New  York;  "Old  Plantation  Hymns," 
by  VVm.  E.  Barton,  D.  D.,  Lamson,  Wolffe  &  Co.;  "Negro  Folk-Songs,"  Books  I  and  H,  by  Natalie  Curtis, 
Hampton  Series,  G.  Schirmer,  New  York. 

'Songs  of  the  Rain  Ceremony,  pages  20,  22,  81,  90. 

'The  Century  Dictionary  gives  the  following  definition  of  syncopation:  Act,  process  or  result  of  in- 
verting the  rhythmic  accent  by  beginning  a  tone  or  tones  on  an  unaccented  beat  or  pulse  and  sustaining 
them  into  an  accented  one  so  that  the  proper  emphasis  on  the  latter  is  more  or  less  transferred  back  or  an- 
ticipated.    Syncopation  may  occur  wholly  within  a  measure,  or  may  extend  from  measure  to  measure. 

Compare  Foreword   to  Book  II,  "Negro  Folk-Songs,"  Hampton  Series,  published  by  G.  Schirmer. 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT xxi 

rhythm  and  a  mastery  of  rhythmic  form,  these  are  inherent  in  the  very  nature  of 
black  folk. 

For  melody  alone  we  turn  in  this  book  to  a  rare  example  in  the  poignant 
beauty  of  the  Chindau'  "Lament"  whose  plaintive  phrases  slurring  downward 
like  those  tears  that  the  African  proverb  says  fall  "backward  into  the  heart," 
seem  to  tell  of  grief  in  a  primeval  world — that  grief  of  human  loss,  old  as  all 
mankind  yet  young  as  yesterday.  Here  too  we  have  complete  symmetry  of  form 
— indeed,  a  striking  bit  of  melodic  sculpture. 

The  Chindau'  songs  are  from  pagan  Africa;  but  many  of  the  Zulu  songs  show 
undoubted  white  influence.  Highly  sensitive  to  sound,  the  African  is  quick  to 
absorb  the  obvious  melodies  of  the  missionary  hymn-tunes.  Travelers  and  schol- 
ars have  remarked  the  extraordinarily  quick  musical  ear  of  the  African,  who  is 
receptive  and  imitative.'  A  European  melody  once  heard  will  travel  far  into 
the  Interior  and  crop  out  again  in  the  most  unlooked-for  places  among  an  en- 
tirely pagan  people.  But  after  the  black  man  has  been  impregnated  by  the  art 
of  another  race,  his  own  creative  musical  faculty  again  asserts  itself  and  gives 
birth  to  a  new  art-form — African,  though  European — as  in  the  music  of  the 
American  Negro  in  the  United  States. 

The  Zulu  warsong  and  some  of  the  love-songs  have  however  the  true  native 
flavor,  notably  the  ecstatic  melody  sung  by  a  woman  who  likens  her  approaching 
lover  to  the  "strong  wind,"  while  male  voices  support  the  free  extemporization  of 
the  song  by  a  determined  and  sharply  accented  rhythmic  figure.  Even  the  Zulu 
dance-songs — evidently  "white"  tunes — take  on  an  African  sound  when  accom- 
panied by  that  hand-clapping  which,  like  the  drum,  is  singularly  expressive  in 
Africa;  for  this  hand-clapping  is  no  monotonous  iteration;  it  is  charged  with  all  the 
variety  of  rhythm  natural  to  the  African.  Nor  is  this  rhythmic  pattern  mere 
rhythm  alone;  it  is  colored  with  many  tonal  effects  made  by  striking  the  hands 
together  in  diflferent  ways.  Sometimes  one  hand  forms  a  cup-like  hollow  against 
the  other,  emitting  a  deep  mellow  tone;  sometimes  the  hands  are  slapped  flat, 
with  a  dry,  crisp  smack.  These  contrasts  and  gradations  of  tone  and  volume  are 
struck  on  the  air  with  such  a  rare  sense  of  dynamic  values  that  the  white  listener 
pauses  in  amazement  at  the  artistry  expressed  through  such  rudimentary  means. 
Perhaps  the  song  may  here  and  there  be  emphasized  by  two  deep-toned  claps, 
followed  by  three  rapid  slaps;  or  again,  there  may  be  one  or  two  loud  smacks, 
alternating  with  a  few  quick,  muffled  throbs.  Indeed,  it  would  seem  as  though  all 
the  combinations  of  rhythms,  accent  and  tone  possible  to  hand-clapping  were 
fashioned  by  this  percussion  orchestra  of  human  palms. 

We  see  then  that  African  songs  are  many  of  them  folk-art-creations  calling  for 
musical  intellect  as  well  as  emotion.  Nor  are  the  songs,  rich  as  is  their  weave 
of  rhythm  and  polyphony,  the  only  music  of  the  African.  Through  instruments  of 
his  own  invention,  the  black  man  achieves  that  independence  of  the  human  voice 

'The  -American  Indian,  another  type  of  primitive  man,  on  the  contrary  is  reserved,  conservative  and 
aloof.  In  most  cases  he  sternly  holds  intact  his  native  music  as  well  as  his  other  racial  characteristics,  even 
though  surrounded  for  generations  by  white  people  who  make  every  effort  (both  personal,  and  officially 
organized  by  Government  Indian  Schools)  to  stamp  out  all  things  characteristic  of  the  race,  in  the  attempt 
to  turn  the  Indian  into  a  white  man  in  a  generation.  There  is  perhaps  in  all  the  history  of  education 
nothing  more  tragic  than  the  form  of  race-suicide  demanded  of  the  Red  Man,  who  tragically  clings  to  his 
racial  soul  and  to  his  inherent  right  to  his  own  form  of  art-expression. 


xxii  SONGS  AND  TALES 


that  presupposes  a  conception  of  music  as  an  art,  demanding  an  understanding  of 
tone-qualities  and  again  a  sense  for  the  structural  building  of  rhythmic  and 
melodic  balances  of  sound.  It  is  a  cause  for  regret  that  no  more  extensive  record  of 
native  instruments  could  be  included  in  this  volume.  Such  a  record  would  form 
another  story  and  demand  a  separate  study.  Brief  mention  is  here  made  only 
of  some  of  the  instruments  most  common  among  the  Vandau'  and  Zulu  people. 
First  come  the  "Ngo'ma,"'  drums  of  various  shapes  and  sizes,  which  may  be 
played  singly  or  in  groups  and  whose  music  is  not  rhythmic  only  but  tonal  as 
well.  Then  there  are  the  "Mari'mba,"  or  "Mali'mba,"  popularly  called  "the 
African  piano,"  whose  large  wooden  keys,  vibrating  above  gourd  resonators,  are 
struck  with  rubber-tipped  mallets,  like  the  strings  of  a  Hungarian  cimbalo,  or 
like  our  xylophone.  The  "Ntha'mba"-  Is  a  rattle  made  of  the  fruit  of  the 
"Muta'mba"  tree  which  when  dried  is  full  of  loose  seeds.  The  "Nthu'zwa"  (see 
page  52)  is  also  a  rattle,  but  this  is  deftly  fashioned  of  a  box  made  of  woven 
reeds  and  filled  with  pebbles.  This  instrument  is  square  and  flat.  The  "Mari'- 
mba," whose  melodic  tones  are  sweet  and  pure,  is  sometimes  accompanied  by 
drums  and  rattles,  producing  a  most  interesting  blend  of  melody  and  different 
tonal  qualities  of  rhythm.  The  "Albi'la"'  (or  "Za'nza,"  as  it  is  more  commonly 
known)  is  a  resonating  box  over  which  are  clamped  two  banks  of  metal  teeth 
or  keys  of  different  lengths  which  are  snapped  downward  by  the  fingers,  emitting 
a  most  enchanting  music — a  tinkle  and  hum  of  gentle  sound. 

The  "Chidanga'li,"  a  one-stringed  bow,  is  played  horizontally  like  a  flute,  one 
end  being  held  in  the  mouth  and  the  other  in  one  hand.  To  it  are  attached  small 
snail-shells  which  rattle  with  the  vibrating  of  the  string.  This  simple  bow-string 
gives  forth  a  most  sylvan  sound  when  struck  with  a  quill  plectrum  (as  one  plays  a 
mandolin)  while  with  the  hand  which  steadies  the  bow  the  string  is  pinched  at 
different  points  and  with  various  degrees  of  pressure,  by  which  means  a  buzzing 
melody  is  played.  The  "Maza'mbe,"  a  variation  or  elaboration  of  the  "Chidan- 
ga'li," is  a  bow  about  two  feet  long,  thicker  in  the  middle  than  at  the  ends.  A 
cord  is  tied  across  the  middle  of  the  bow-string  and  knotted  to  the  bow,  thus 
causing  the  bow-string  to  vibrate  in  two  segments  when  plucked  with  the  fingers  or 
played  with  the  quill  plectrum.  The  "Zimbi'li"  is  a  hunter's  bow;  like  the 
"Maza'mbe,"  the  bow-string  is  divided  into  two  vibrating  segments  by  a  cord 
which  in  this  case  ties  the  bow  to  a  hollow  gourd  resonator,  whose  opemng  at  the 
bottom  is  held  against  the  chest  of  the  player  and  pressed  tight,  or  lifted  off  to 
make  differences  of  pitch,  while  the  string  is  struck  with  a  thin  stick.  This  in- 
strument sings  the  song  of  adolescence  and  first  love  and  sounds  only  when  the 
player  is  unwed.  Through  the  music  of  the  "Zimbi'li"  the  youth  tells  his 
father  that  he  is  come  of  age  and  would  marry.  The  father,  thus  urged,  looks 
to  the  cattle  that  he  must  offer  for  his  son's  prospective  bride.  The  twanging, 
whirring  music  of  all  three  of  these  bow-instruments  often  accompanies  the  voice 
or  the  whistling  of  the  player,  who  delights  in  improvising  different  melodic 
and  rhythmic  combinations  in  a  duet  withhis  instruments. 

'For  description  of  drums  used  in  the  Rain  CeremoJiy  and  Pa/i'ta  dances,  see  pages  10,  35. 
'Pronounced  with  aspirant  T  and  aspirant  H. 
'See  page  8,  also  illustrations  on  pages  3,  13. 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT xxiii 

Wind  instruments  are  also  in  common  use.  The  "Mpha'lapa'la,"  a  horn  of  the 
sable  antelope,  summons  the  people  to  their  chief,  and  is  also  blown  by  heralds 
of  marriage  ceremonies.  Bamboo  whistles  arc  naturally  easily  made,  while  the 
more  elaborate  "Alundo'le"  is  a  veritable  flute,  perhaps  two  feet  long,  made  also 
of  bamboo,  a  straight  piece  having  been  cut  between  the  knots  of  the  stem.  This 
flute  has  one  hole  through  which  the  player  blows,  and  three  or  four  holes  near 
the  bottom  of  the  flute  which  are  stopped  with  the  fingers  for  differences  of  pitch. 
This  flute,  whose  tone  is  too  loud  to  sound  indoors,  enlivens  many  hours  of  solitude 
for  the  shepherd  or  cowherd.  Primitive  instruments  these,  but  widely  varied  in 
conception. 

In  the  song-poems  contained  in  this  volume  we  find  the  same  feeling  for 
form  that  gives  symmetry  to  African  music.  The  verses  are  blocked  out  with 
apparently  conscious  decision;  the  accents  suggest  the  deeply  expressive  quality 
of  African  wood-carving,  while  the  rhythmic  beat  of  the  lines  is  comparable  of 
course  to  the  magnificent  pulse  of  the  music.  May  we  not  with  justice  emphasize 
the  importance  of  these  poems,  not  only  to  ethnology,  but  to  literature.' 

"Mother,"^  the  generic  human  mother,  figures  in  these  Ba'ntu  songs  as  an 
exclamation.  A'lan  is  conceived  as  ever  a  child,  calling  in  time  of  distress  upon 
her  who  comforts  and  soothes  and  whose  help  can  never  fail.  "Mother!"  is  the 
cry  of  woe  from  a  famine-threatened  people  who  look  on  death,-  "Mother!"  is 
the  lament  of  a  widow  for  whom  all  other  solace  is  vain.'  "Life  is":  this  is  the 
primal  fact  of  man's  consciousness.  "Who  gave  it  me?"  is  his  first  question. 
"I  am  the  child  of  the  Earth-Mother,"  answers  the  North  American  Indian  of 
the  Great  Plains,  whose  concepts  have  always  a  poetic  and  cosmic  scope.  "A 
mother  bore  me,"  replies  the  African,  who  is  literal,  logical  and  personal.  If  we 
could  strip  from  humanity  the  complexities  and  artificialities  with  which  civili- 
zation so  often  overlays  the  real,  pulsing,  naked  form  of  life,  there  might  be 
found  in  all  of  us  the  same  instinctive  and  overpowering  sense  of  reverence  for 
the  creation  of  life  that  fills  the  mind  of  primitive  man,  for  whom  the  great ' 
essentials  of  existence  stand  out,  unblurred  by  smaller  outlines,  on  the  bas-relief 
of  Time.  The  African  poems  in  this  book  are  vital  in  that  simple  directness  and 
ungarnished  naturalness  with  which  humanity  echoes  nature's  song. 

The  translations  embody  the  labor  of  several  years.  They  are  an  effort  faith- 
fully to  reproduce  the  original  structure  of  the  poems  even  to  the  exact  rhythm 
of  the  lines,  while  retaining  with  entire  literalness  the  meaning  and  also,  as  far 
as  possible,  the  word-character  of  the  African  text.  But  it  is  not  only  in  metrical 
form  that  the  native  of  the  Dark  Continent  expresses  poetry;  like  his  verse,  his 
proverbs — terse,  epigrammatic  and  full  of  that  hard-headed  logic  which  travelers 
have  noted  in  the  African — are  poignant  with  metaphor.  One  proverb  in  particu- 
lar seems  to  speak  the  soul  of  the  whole  black  race  to-day:^  "We  weep  in  our 
hearts  like  the  tortoise."  For  the  African  says,  "Even  as  the  tortoise  has  no 
means  of  defense  and  can  only  weep  where  none  may  see,  drawing  himself  into 
his  shell  and  patiently  awaiting  his  fate,  so  under  oppression  and  injustice  we 

'See  "The  Mother  in  Africa,"  page  66. 
^See  Song  of  the  Rain  Ceremony,  pages  21,  S2. 
'See  Lament,  pages  41,  120. 
*See  page  14. 


xxiv  SONGS  AND  TALES 


who  are  defenceless  may  not  even  show  our  tears,  which  fall  not  down  our  cheeks 
but  backward,  silently,  into  our  hearts^" 

The  cost  of  book  manufacture  in  these  days  has  unfortunately  precluded  the 
possibility  of  reproducing  in  this  volume  more  than  a  few  illustrations  of  African 
artistry  in  wood-carving  and  textile  weaving.  However,  these  fragmentary 
examples  will  offer  a  glimpse  of  that  inspiration  which  some  French  artists  are 
to-day  finding  in  the  native  art  of  black  Africa.  For  modern  art,  in  seeking 
archaic  influences  in  order  to  cleanse  itself  from  the  deterioration  of  superficiality, 
has  found,  in  the  African's  childlike  though  spiritual  grasp  of  sculptural  essentials, 
a  powerful  stimulus.  A  recent  exhibition  of  Congo  sculpture  at  a  modern  art 
gallery  in  New  York,  brought  the  primitive  art  of  the  Dark  Continent  vividly 
before  the  white  world  in  America  and  awakened  in  many  of  us  the  question: 
Why  could  not  the  art-instinct  latent  in  the  Blacks  add  a  note  of  strong  individu- 
ality to  the  art  and  the  art-crafts  of  America.'' 

The  illustrations  in  this  book  were  kindly  furnished  by  Hampton  Institute. 
Through  the  efforts  of  Aliss  Cora  M.  Folsoni,  curator  of  the  Hampton  Aluseum, 
the  school  now  owns  a  small  but  most  significant  African  collection,  particularly 
important  from  the  artist's  standpoint.  Too  little  is  known  of  the  very  valuable 
material  so  modestly  housed  in  the  Virginia  school.  It  was  a  Hampton  graduate 
who,  fired  with  the  ideal  of  service  to  his  race,  went  to  Africa  as  a  missionary  and 
there  gathered  the  fabrics  woven  from  palm-fibre,  the  weapons  and  implements  of 
wrought  iron,  the  bead-work  and  the  carved  utensils  of  wood  and  ivory  whose 
rare  craftsmanship  now  forms  a  part  of  Hampton's  proof  of  the  potentialities  of 
the  black  race.  This  collection,  brought  together  by  a  Negro,  should  be  a  veri- 
table inspiration  to  the  black  man  of  America  in  whom  the  warm  love  of  bright 
color  and  the  vigorous  impulse  for  decoration  have  not  been  wholly  deadened 
by  the  prosaic  monotone  of  commercial  civilization.  In  art-crafts  as  in  music 
the  Negro,  whether  in  Africa  or  transplanted  to  other  lands,  might  have  a 
distinctly  racial  contribution  to  make  to  the  cosmopolitan  art  of  the  world. 

And  now  a  word  as  to  the  method  of  recording  the  African  songs  in  this 
volume.  The  task  was  one  of  appalling  difficulty,  and  though  the  success  of 
such  an  effort  can  at  best  be  approximate  only,  no  pains  were  spared  in  trying  to 
be  true  to  both  spirit  and  letter  of  the  African  poems  and  music.  Every  word  of 
the  text,  every  note  of  the  music,  was  gone  over  hundreds  of  times.  Could  the 
work  have  been  done  in  Africa,  how  much  less  difficult  and  how  much  more 
satisfactory  would  have  been  the  result!  As  it  is,  if  the  unfailing  patience  and 
devoted  cooperation  of  the  African  informants,  Ka'mba  Sima'ngo  and  Madika'ne 
Ce'le,  have  been  rewarded  with  any  degree  of  fulfillment,  the  long  and  exacting 
labor  of  years  of  research  will  seem  justified.     Besides  studying  the  songs  directly 

'"Of  all  the  arts  of  the  primitive  races,  the  art  of  the  African  Negro  savage  is  the  one  which  has  had  a 
positive  influence  upon  the  art  of  our  epoch.  From  its  principles  of  plastic  representation  a  new  art  move- 
ment has  evolved.  The  point  of  departure  and  the  resting  point  of  our  abstract  representation  are  based 
on  the  art  of  that  race.  It  is  certain  that  ..before  the  introduction  of  the  plastic  principles  of  Negro  art, 
abstract  representations  did  not  exist  among  Europeans.  Negro  art  has  reawakened  in  us  the  feeling  for 
abstract  form;  it  has  brought  into  our  art  the  means  to  express  our  purely  sensorial  feelings  in  regard  to 
form,  or  to  find  new  form  in  our  ideas.  The  abstract  representation  of  modern  art  is  unquestionably  the 
offspring  of  the  Negro  Art,  which  has  made  us  conscious  of  the  subjective  state,  obliterated  by  objective 
education."  From  "African  Negro  Art — Its  Influence  on  Modern  Art."  By  AI.  de  Zayas.  Published  by 
The  Modern  Art  Gallery,  549  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York. 


AFRICAN  WOOD-CARVIXC 
T5oxes — Howl — Drinking  Horn 

(Wesl  Cfutrul  Africa) 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT 


XXV 


from  the  singers,  phonograph  records  were  made  for  careful  comparison,  and 
when  the  song  was  polyphonic,  a  record  was  made  of  each  part,  sung  separately. 
Then  one  part  was  played  on  the  machine  and  the  African  sang  the  other  part, 
thus  performing  a  duet  with  his  phonograph  double,  enabling  the  recorder  to 
hear  both  parts  together.  The  same  device  was  used  in  recording  drums  and 
hand-clapping. 

So  this  book,  fruit  of  much  dedicated  toil,  is  offered  to  white  men  and  black 
— offered,  not  as  an  achievement,  but  as  a  prophecy.  May  its  pages,  devoted  to 
a  true  portrayal  of  African  thought,  make  an  unconscious  plea  for  that  sympathy 
which  shall  bring  nearer  the  dream  of  justice  and  the  recognition  of  spiritual  and 
cultural  values  as  well  as  geographical  and  political  rights  of  nations.  The  brutal 
carnage  of  the  world-war  has  shattered  the  belief  that  true  civilization  is  anywhere 
a  complete  accomplishment.  It  is  still  an  ideal.  Should  it  not  now  be  more  than 
ever  a  composite  ideal.?  For  only  when  we  admit  that  each  race  owes  some- 
thing to  the  other,  only  when  we  realize  our  vast  mutual,  human  indebtedness, 
ma\-  we  hope  for  that  inter-racial  and  inter-national  tolerance,  understanding 
and  cooperation  which  can  at  last  bring  permanent  peace. 

Natalie  Curtis. 

September,  1919. 


SONGS,  TALES  AND  PROVERBS 

of  the 

NDAU  TRIBE 

(Portuguese  East  Africa) 
Recorded  from  the  Singing  and  the  Sayings  of 

C.  KAMBA  SIMANGO 


SONGS.  TALES  AND  PROVERBS  OF  THE 

NDAU  TRIBE 

C.  KA'MBA  SIMA'NGO 


Ba  'ntu  African  words  are  usually  accented  on  the  pfnullima,  or  syllable  before  the  last.  As  there  are  a  few  exceptions  to  this 
general  rule,  all  the  accents  are  here  given,  for  the  greater  convenience  of  the  reader. 

C.  Ka'mba  Sima'ngo  is  a  full-blooded  native  of  that  long  strip  of  Africa's  east 
coast  seized  for  Portugal  by  those  daring  navigators  of  the  fifteenth  and  six- 
teenth centuries  who,  in  seeking  a  sea-route  to  the  Indies,  circled  the  Dark 
Continent   and    landed    on    its    eastern    shores. 

Portuguese  East  Africa,  lapped  by  the  Indian  Ocean,  had  long  been  known 
to  Arab  traders  who  had  founded  settlements  upon  its  coasts.  Indeed,  the  gold 
and  ivory  of  Africa  had  traveled  eastward  and  northward  to  the  Orient  long  be- 
fore the  coming  of  the  European.  East  Africa  is  a  country  around  which  clings 
a  golden  haze  of  fable  and  where,  some  scholars  assert,  arose  in  ancient  times  an 
indigenous  Negroid  culture,  later  overthrown  by  the  migrations  of  wilder  hordes 
of  black  Ban'tu'  tribes  swarming  southward  to  the  coasts  from  the  Great  Lakes. 
Indeed,  the  storied  "Land  of  Ophir,"  whence  came  gold  to  Palestine  as  recorded 
in  Genesis,  is  supposed,  according  to  some  authorities,  to  have  been  part  of  this 
ancient  culture  of  which  traces  are  seen  in  the  long-abandoned  workings  of  gold 
and  quartz  mines  and  in  the  ruins  of  dwellings,  fortifications,  citadels,  or  temples, 
— still  the  puzzle  of  the  archseologist. 

The  Shanga'ne-  or  /^andau','  to  which  tribe  Ka'mba  Sima'ngo  belongs, 
are  a  branch  of  the  great  Ba'ntu  stock  of  full-blooded  black  men  which  in- 
creasing population  and  the  stir  of  the  ancient  slave-trade  had  thrust  out  from 
the  centre  of  Africa.''  The  villages  of  the  landau'  cluster  along  the  low  miasmic 
shores  of  the  Indian  Ocean  and,  stretching  out  on  the  rising  uplands,  sweep 
through  jungles  and  along  river-beds  toward  the  interior.  The  FandsLu'  are  not 
a  numerous  people  and  early  in  the  nineteenth  century  they  were  bloodlessly 
conquered  by  their  Ba'ntu  kindred,^  the  militant  Zulus,  at  the  time  when  the 
fiercely  disciplined  hosts  of  the  imperious  King  Tsha'ka'*  swept  up  through  South 
Africa  from  Zululand  like  a  monsoon  of  terror. 

Though  the  Portuguese  now  hold  the  country  from  German  East  Africa 
on  the  north  to  Natal  on  the  south,  a  distance  of  some  400  miles,  the  climate  of 
the  natural  trading-posts  is  so  deadly  to  Europeans  that  colonization  never 
flourished.  Missionary  enterprises  have  been  few,  partly  because  of  the  climate 
and  also  because  Protestant  missions  were  discouraged  by  the  Portuguese.  The 
native   population    has   thus    remained   comparatively   intact.      But   the   trade- 

'See  page  xv,  also  footnote  on  page  vii.  ^See  page  28. 

'Peculiarities  of  the  native  language  spoken  b>-  this  people  describe  the  tribe  as  "Ndau";  the  people 
as  "/''andau'";   the  songs  and  language  as  "Chindau'." 

'See  pages  xiii,  xvi.  'See  page  63.  'Or  Chaka. 

[l] 


SONGS  AND  TALES 


routes  through  the  jungles  connecting  British  Rhodesia  with  the  coast,  and  the 
railroads  built  by  the  more  enterprising  English  through  Portuguese  territory, 
have  kept  the  stream  of  gold  and  other  wealth  of  Africa  flowing  to  the  ports, 
while  European  commerce  unloads  and  tranships  through  East  Africa  its  manu- 
factures. How  primitive  are  still  many  of  the  routes  which  link  some  parts  of 
Rhodesia  to  the  railroads  running  to  the  ports  and  thus  to  the  European  world, 
may  be  surmised  from  the  fact  that  mail  from  the  mission  station  of  Mt.  Belinda 
in  Rhodesia  leaves  on  the  heads  of  black  carriers. 

The  kraal  where  Ka'mba  Sima'ngo  was  born  lay  in  a  pagan  village  where  life 
was  guided  by  belief  in  the  all-prevading  presence  of  the  spirits  of  the  dead  who 
have  power  both  to  help  and  to  harm.  The  throb  of  the  native  drum  and  the 
ceremonial  chants  of  the  "Diviners,"  or  Spirit-Exorcisers  (called  by  the  white 
men  "witch-doctors"),  beat  upon  the  ear  of  the  little  Sima'ngo  from  his  birth, 
and  the  ceremonies  for  healing  the  sick  by  casting  out  evil  spirits  are  among 
his  earliest  recollections.  For  his  grandfather  was  a  iVa'nga,"'  a  diviner,  and 
his  uncle  a  "Nyamso'lo,"-  a  diviner  of  another  order.  So  the  little  boy  grew 
up,  close  to  the  inmost  soul  of  the  native  life.  Mother  Africa  holding  him 
against  her  pagan  heart,  the  mysteries  of  spirit-obsession  and  the  terrors  of 
witchcraft  forming  the  background  of  his  childish  consciousness.  So  familiar 
to  him  was  the  sight  of  the  Nyamso'lo  exorcising  troubling  spirits,  that  he  and 
his  little  sister  used  to  play  at  curing  one  another  through  the  casting  out  of 
demons,  imitating  to  the  minutest  detail  the  ceremonies  of  the  "witch- 
doctor." The  "Spirit-Songs, "3  the  "Rain-Songs,"^  the  "Dance-Songs,"^— 
all  are  indelibly  graven  on  Sima'ngo's  memory.  How  could  he  forget? 
When  the  scourge  of  small-pox  swept  from  the  ports  to  the  natives,  was 
not  Sima'ngo  himself  cured  by  the  Nyamso'lo,  whose  hypnotic  singing  never 
ceased  until  the  evil  spirit  had  fled  and  the  boy  fell  into  a  normal,  healing  sleep? 
When  the  fields  lay  parched  with  drought  and  famine  threatened  and  the  great 
drums  were  brought  out  for  the  Rain-Songs,  did  not  Sima'ngo's  childish  voice 
join  the  chorus  of  singers  who  all  night  long,  and  night  after  night,  invoked  the 
rain?  And  when  there  was  a  festival  after  the  brewing  of  "do'lo"  (native  beer), 
and  the  old  people  so  stingily  forgot  the  young,  did  he  not  laugh  over  the  satiric 
songs  of  the  boys  and  girls  who  scoffed  with  hidden  words  at  the -aged  long- 
beard  who  would  not  pass  the  cup?^  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Chindau' 
songs  in  this  book  are  pure  African,  untouched  by  European  influence,  for 
Sima'ngo  never  went  among  white  men  until  he  was  practically  full-grown. 

Indeed,  so  far  as  he  knows  (for  Africans  keep  no  record  of  their  age),  the  boy 
must  have  been  fifteen  or  more  years  of  age  before  he  first  left  his  kraal  to  work 
for  Portuguese  settlers.  At  Beira,  a  malarial  seaport  town,  he  cooked  for 
natives  who  were  hauling  freight.  The  natives  sing  as  they  work,  and  it  was  at 
Beira  that  Sima'ngo  learned  the  first  laboring  song  in  this  book.' 

His  next  experience  was  unfortunate:  he  left  Beira  and  entered  the  employ 
of  a  Portuguese  who  made  the  boy  work  hard,  and  then  did  not  pay  him!  So 
Sima'ngo  went  back  to  Beira,  and  for  half  a  year  he  served  as  a  "boy"  in  a  hotel — 

'See  pages  17,  26.     =See  pages  16,  24,  25.        ^See  pages  24,  25,  26,  27,  99.       ■'See  pages  20,  22,  81,  90. 
'See  pages  35,  i7 ,  38,  110,  114,  118.  ^See  pages  37,  114.  'See  pages  32,  107. 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT 


for  natives  who  are  hired  to  do  any  kind  of  work  are  called  "boy,"  whether  they 
be  ten  years  old  or  sixty. 

The  railroads  built  by  the  English  through  Portuguese  East  Africa  were  now 
in  operation,  and  Sima'ngo  next  worked  as  "laundry-boy"  for  a  French  con- 
ductor, washing  the  man's  linen.  It  was  here  that  he  heard  the  song  of  the 
African  laborer  on  the  railroad,  also  contained  in  this  book.^ 

Native  fashion,  in  the  intervals  between  his  chance  occupations  he  went 
back  to  his  kraal.  Next  he  became  house  servant  to  a  white  woman  of  whose 
little  children  he  took  charge.  The  woman  treated  him  harshly  and  was  always 
very  impatient  when  he  could  not  understand  the  things  that  he  was  required 
to  do,  which  were  all  utterly  strange  to  him;  yet  such  was  her  confidence  in  the 
boy  that  she  went  on  a  visit  to  Victoria  Falls  for  several  weeks,  leaving  the  chil- 
dren, including  a  four  months'  old  baby,  in  the  care  of  the  African.     Sima'ngo 

'See  pages  33,  107. 


THE  MBl'LA 

(A  Native  Instntmenl) 

To  the  left,  an  instrument  in  process  of  construction,  showing  sounding-board. 

To  the  right,  an  old  "Albi'la."" 


SONGS  AND  TALES 


tended  the  little  ones  faithfully  night  and  day,  feeding  the  baby  and  caring  for  it 
as  he  had  seen  the  mother  do,  and  when  she  came  back  she  found  all  as  she  had 
left  it.  One  day,  as  Sima'ngo  was  dressing  the  children,  the  mother  brought  out 
some  little  boots  which  she  told  him  to  fasten.  While  he  knelt  in  front 
of  the  children  in  perplexity,  wondering  how  such  extraordinary  footgear  was  to 
be  put  together,  the  mother,  with  her  customary  impatience,  picked  up  a  stick  of 
wood  and  beat  him  so  cruelly  over  the  head  that,  though  he  loved  the  children,  he 
decided  that  he  could  no  longer  endure  such  treatment. 

He  left,  and  went  to  work  for  an  Italian  who  was  employed  on  the  railroad 
by  the  English;  but  here  again  the  man's  wife  scolded  so  constantly  that  Sima'ngo 
and  another  boy,  when  their  time  was  up,  decided  to  run  away;  for  they  knew 
that  the  man  would  keep  them  by  force  if  he  thought  that  they  wanted  to  leave. 
They  ran  for  many  miles  along  the  railroad  track  until  they  came  to  a  native  camp 
where  the  other  boy  had  friends.  Though  these  people  spoke  a  dialect  which 
Sima'ngo  could  not  understand,  they  were  kindly  and  they  gave  the  boys  shelter. 
Here  the  fugitives  slept,  but  when  they  awoke  in  the  morning  they  found  that 
their  earnings,  which  Simango  had  carried,  were  gone!  Much  distressed,  the  boys 
sent  for  a  "A^a'nga,"  a  diviner,  to  come  and  detect  the  thief;  but  while  waiting 
for  him  they  were  overtaken  by  a  native  servant  of  their  Italian  employer  who 
had  been  sent  to  find  them  and  bring  them  back.  The  other  boy  escaped,  but 
Sima'ngo  was  caught. 

"Why  must  I  go  back?"  he  said,  "what  right  has  that  man  to  send  after  me."* 
I  have  stolen  nothing  nor  harmed  him  in  any  way.  Am  I  a  slave .^"  But  such 
was  the  pressure  of  circumstances  that  Sima'ngo  returned  with  the  servant.  But 
as  soon  as  he  saw  another  opportunity  to  escape,  he  promptly  ran  away  again. 
Reaching  the  camp  of  the  people  who  had  befriended  him  (and  stolen  his  money), 
he  preferred  this  time  to  sleep  in  the  open  beside  the  railroad  track.  In  telling 
the  story  afterwards  he  said: 

"I  could  hear  the  wild  beasts  prowling  about,  but  I  feared  them  less  than  to 
be  caught  and  sent  back  to  that  master." 

Sima'ngo  now  made  his  way  southward  toward  Beira  again,  where  he  worked 
for  a  Welshman.  One  day  he  met  a  boy  who  told  him  of  a  wonderful 
new  experience:  he  had  been  to  school!  For  a  white  man  had  established 
in  Beira  a  mission  to  teach  the  natives. ^  Sima'ngo  asked  if  the  boy  could 
teach  him;  and  then  and  there  they  sat  down  together,  and  Sima'ngo  learned 
the  alphabet.  From  that  moment  awoke  in  him  a  longing  to  learn — a  hunger 
which  has  never  since  abated — and  he  started  to  go  to  the  mission  school. 
The  Portuguese,  however,  were  not  in  sympathy  with  the  mission  station  and 
they  waylaid  the  boys  on  their  way  to  school,  arrested  them,  and  brought  them 
before  a  judge  who  sentenced  them  to  be  beaten.  They  were  cruelly  punished 
and  one  boy,  Mataka'le,  was  given  stripes  on  his  hands  and  then  sent  to  hard 
labor.  As  soon  as  he  was  released,  he  straightway  went  back  to  school,  was 
again  caught  and  sentenced  this  time  to  fifty  stripes,  which  were  administered 
with  such  stinging,  weltering  blows  that  the  blood  spurted  from  under  the  boy's 
finger-nails.    Then,  with  swollen,  bleeding  hands,  he  was  sent  again  to  hard  labor. 


•Work  conducted  by  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 


FROM   THE  DARK  COX  TIN  EN  T 


But  such  was  Mataka'le's  pluck  anel  his  desire  to  learn,  that  he  again  returned 
to  school  the  moment  he  was  released. 

The  missionary  now  decided,  however,  to  abandon  the  station  at  Beira  owing 
to  the  opposition  of  the  Portuguese  and  to  his  own  ill  health.  So  distressed  were 
the  boys  at  this  that  the  missionary  told  them  that  if  they  indeed  wanted  so 
much  to  learn,  he  would  send  them  to  Rhodesia  (British  territory  adjoining  Portu- 
guese East  Africa  on  the  west),  where  they  could  be  received  at  the  mission  station 
and  taught.'  The  missionary  even  gave  them  railroad  fare  as  far  as  the  train 
went  toward  their  destination.  So  Sima'ngo  and  his  friend  Mataka'le  started 
out;  but  the  mission  station  was  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from  the  rail- 
road station,  and  so  on  alighting  from  the  train  the  boys  walked  the  enormous 
distance.  They  were  hospitably  received  at  the  school  and  staid  there  two  years; 
then,  filled  with  longing  to  see  their  families  and  friends  again,  they  walked  all 
the  way  back  to  their  kraal,  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles,  part  of  their 
way  lying  through  unbroken  jungle  where  they  could  hear  the  lions  roaring  at 
night.  They  staid  at  home  only  three  weeks,  but  their  zeal  for  their  studies  was  so 
contagious  that  a  number  of  the  natives  decided  to  follow  them  on  the  long, 
backward  march  to  Rhodesia.  It  was  now  a  party  of  twenty  young  people 
that  bravely  set  out  on  the  dangerous  journey  from  their  kraals  in  search  of  light 
and  learning.  Meanwhile  the  Portuguese  had  got  wind  of  this  expedition  and 
sent  a  man  to  intercept  the  party,  but  the  natives  travelled  warily  and  the  Portu- 
guese did  not  find  them. 

It  was  in  all  six  years  that  Sima'ngo  spent  at  Mount  Selinda  School  in  Rho- 
desia, returning  to  his  kraal  at  intervals  for  visits  whenever  he  could,  drawn  by 
his  love  for  his  mother.'  He  then  came  to  Lovedale  Institute  in  Cape  Colony,  the 
oldest  school  for  natives  in  South  Africa,  and  from  there  to  Natal  in  Zululand. 

Meanwhile  one  of  the  teachers  at  Mount  Selinda,  a  British  Colonial  born 
in  Africa,  had  taken  keen  interest  in  Sima'ngo,  recognizing  the  boy's  steadfast- 
ness and  ability.  She  decided  that  he  should  have  better  industrial  training  than 
the  African  schools  could  give  him,  for  she  believed  that  he  could  do  much  to 
help  his  people:  Sima'ngo  was  to  be  a  leader!  The  teacher  had  been  to  America, 
studying  the  schools  in  the  United  States,  and  had  visited  Hampton  Institute; 
she  was  convinced  that  to  Hampton  Sima'ngo  should  go.  Money  was  raised  by 
these  brave,  unselfish  missionaries,  and  the  boy  was  sent  to  America,  making  the 
long  six  weeks'  journey  alone  and  coming  straight  to  Hampton  Institute.  When 
he  arrived,  he  knew  not  one  single  human  soul  on  the  American  continent.  In 
telling  the  story  afterward  he  said  that  he  would  have  been  overwhelmed  with 
loneliness  and  homesickness  had  it  not  been  that  on  arriving  at  Hampton  he  found 
two  letters  from  the  missionary-teacher  awaiting  him.  She  had  had  the  rare 
forethought  to  send  the  letters  in  advance  so  that  the  boy  shou'd  find  a  warm 
welcoming  word  from  home  in  the  strange  new  land.  Sima'ngo  entered  the  Trade 
School  at  Hampton,  where  he  speedily  won  the  respect  and  good-will  of  his  com- 
panions and  instructors.  In  speaking  of  him  the  other  students  say:  "Sima'ngo — 
— he's  good!" 

'Mt.  Selinda,  Rhodesia,  S.  A. 

'See  "The  Mother  in  .'Africa,"  page  66. 


SONGS  AND  TALES 


II 

Though  the  African  boy  had  enthusiastically  agreed  to  help  me  in  making 
this  collection  of  the  songs  of  his  tribe,  yet  it  was  hard  for  him  to  find  much 
time  at  Hampton  for  such  researches,  as  the  school  wisely  keeps  its  students 
busy  from  dawn  until  bedtime.  So  it  was  agreed  that  Sima'ngo  should  spend  a 
month  of  his  summer  vacation  at  my  home  by  the  sea,  in  order  that  we  could 
work  together  uninterruptedly.  For  it  is  a  part  of  Hampton's  "education  for 
life"  to  place  the  students  during  the  summer  in  positions  where  they  can  practice 
in  the  outside  world  what  they  learned  in  school.  .Moreover,  through  "learn- 
ing by  doing"  and  earning  a  regular  wage,  they  gain  self-reliance  and  a  knowledge 
of  the  value  of  time  and  money — a  most  important  link  in  the  chain  of  industrial 
progress,  for  it  is  just  here  that  adjustment  often  fails  backward  peoples  in  the 
difficult  transition  from  primitive  life  to  the  sustained  habits  of  modern  industry. 

Though  Sima'ngo  had  small  opportunity  while  with  me  to  apply  the  trade 
that  he  was  studying  at  Hampton — carpentry  and  building,  much  needed  in 
.South  Africa — yet  everything  that  he  undertook  showed  the  excellence  of  his 
general  training,  that  inter-training  of  hand,  head  and  heart  which  is  the  funda- 
mental principle  of  Hampton  instruction.  He  had  a  logical  way  of  reasoning 
things  out  beforehand;  there  was  method  in  the  planning  of  his  work  and  there 
were  brains  behind  his  fingers.  Before  breakfast  he  cut  the  grass,  raked  the 
paths  and  swept  the  steps.  Then  he  put  his  own  room  in  order  (for  he  kept  it 
scrupulously  clean  and  neat),  changed  his  clothes,  and  by  nine  o'clock  he  was 
always  waiting  for  me  at  my  desk,  smilingly  ready  for  our  musical  and  ethno- 
graphical researches.  Into  this  work  of  African  record  he  threw  himself  with 
complete  devotion  and  concentration.  For  in  spite  of  missionary  training  he 
had  retained  the  balanced  judgment  and  the  keenness  of  vision  to  realize  that  all 
was  not  bad  in  the  native  life  simply  because  it  was  pagan.  He  heartily  shared 
my  hope  that  this  book  might  help  to  throw  a  little  light  into  obscure  corners 
of  the  Dark  Continent  and  promote  a  truer  estimation  of  the  human  side  of  black 
Africa.  No  contact  with  the  white  world  could  ever  efface  from  Sima'ngo's 
mind  the  memory  of  the  old  days,  nor  change  his  deep  loyalty  and  affection  for 
his  people.  He  used  to  say,  "There  is  not  a  day  nor  a  night  that  I  do  not  think 
of  home  and  of  my  mother."' 

The  boy's  intelligence  in  answering  questions  and  explaining  the  songs,  his 
patience  in  the  language  work,  and  his  untiring  enthusiasm  for  every  phase  of 
this  difficult  undertaking,  were  worthy  of  the  highest  praise.  Nor  have  I  ever 
seen  greater  industry.  Sima'ngo  spent  his  odd  hours  over  a  manuscript  diction- 
ary of  his  own  language  which  he  was  correcting  for  a  missionary  publication, 
and  often  the  little  lamp  in  his  room  burned  beyond  midnight.  No  diversion 
drew  him  aside;  in  this  task,  as  in  the  African  song-book,  his  application  was 
intense  and  continuous,  for  he  was  working  for  the  recognition  of  his  race.  In- 
deed, one  never  forgot  that  his  mere  presence  in  America  was  for  a  purpose,  the 
great  purpose  that  burned  behind  everything  that  he  did — service  to  his  people. 
He  had  a  keen  sense  of  humor,  and  his  strong  teeth,  filed  in  African  fashion  and 

•See  "The  Mother  in  Africa,"  page  66. 


FROM   THE  DARK  CONTINENT 


white  as  tlie  nati\'e  ivory,  often  flashed  in  a  ready  smile.  \'et  I  never  knew  any 
young  man  of  liis  age  who  took  life  more  earnestly  or  adhered  with  greater  firm- 
ness to  his  own  inner  standard.  He  always  carried  in  his  breast-pocket  a  fine- 
typed  New  Testament,  the  gift  of  the  missionary  at  Mt.  Selinda  who  had  sent 
him  to  America.  This  was  his  most  treasured  possession  and  over  it  he  pored 
each  day.  I  think  he  knew  the  teachings  of  Christ  thoroughly  by  heart;  he 
certainly  tried  to  practice  them  with  that  simplicity  and  directness  lost  to  more 
sophisticated  races,  but  still  the  hope  of  cruder  and  more  primitive  men. 

Often  in  the  cA^enings  we  would  call  Sima'ngo  to  join  the  family  group  in  the 
drawing-room.  There  he  would  tell  us  stories  of  his  early  boyhood  and  of  African 
life  and  customs.  He  described  the  hippopotamus  hunting  in  old  days  and  told 
how  the  natives  made  their  bows  of  hard,  strong  wood  and  tipped  their  arrows 
with  poison.  And  we  heard  too  of  the  crocodiles  that  so  swiftly  dashed  and 
snapped  at  the  unsuspecting  bather  or  swallowed  the  water-carrier  who  had  come 
to  fill  her  earthen  jar  at  the  river's  edge.  Of  the  dreaded  evils  of  witchcraft,- 
also,  Sima'ngo  would  tell  us  at  length,  and  we  delighted  in  the  fantastic  story 
of  the  man  who  had  fabled  power  over  a  crocodile  which  would  do  his  bidding, 
devouring  those  whom  the  man  doomed  to  die;  for  this  witch  talked  and  sang 
to  his  crocodile,  made  offerings  to  it  of  "do'lo"  (native  beer),  and  decorated  it 
with  a  necklace.  Such  stories  held  a  thrill  of  imaginative  appeal.  The  picture 
of  the  tangled  and  wooded  river-bank  with  its  engulfing  mystery  of  shadows, 
the  black  witch  with  charms  and  fetishes,  the  basking  and  bedecked  crocodile, 
itself  a  fetish — all  this  and  the  atmosphere  of  the  fever-breeding  jungle  seemed 
mirrored  in  the  strange  chants  that  Sima'ngo  sang  with  such  blood-stirring 
rhythm. 

There  is  usually  a  powerful  dramatic  sense  in  people  who  have  lived  as  part 
of  the  elemental  drama  of  Mother  Nature  whose  passions  lie  at  the  root  of  all 
being.  Primitive  man,  drawing  sustenance  from  the  bosom  of  the  earth  and 
filling  his  lungs  with  the  breath  of  the  open  sky,  expresses  life  in  big  gesture  and 
in  symbols  that  link  human  existence  with  cosmic  forces.  The  offering  of  prayer 
through  dance,  and  the  invocation  and  exorcising  of  spirits  with  song — all  this 
is  essential  drama  and  an  important  part  of  pagan  African  life.  Sima'ngo's 
graphic  portrayal  of  the  entranced  and  sometimes  cataleptic  "Nyamso'lo,"  or 
diviner,  made  one's  flesh  creep!  In  his  weird  singing  of  the  Spirit-Songs  we  heard 
the  hoarse,  sepulchral  tones  of  the  diviner  whose  Familiar  Spirit  sings  through 
the  lifeless  body;  and  the  white,  upturned  eyeballs,  the  groans  and  spasmodic 
shudderings,  made  us  feel  a  clutching  sense  of  obsession,  as  though  some  loosened 
force  from  out  the  darkness  enveloping  existence  had  thrust  parasitic  claws  into 
normal  human  life.  The  whole  impersonation  was  so  ghastly,  so  uncanny,  that 
one  realized  with  a  chill  at  the  heart  the  hold  that  such  a  sight,  real  or  feigned, 
must  have  upon  the  minds  of  the  simple,  credulous  natives.  For  Sima'ngo  made 
us  see  too  the  circle  of  onlookers,  singing  and  clapping,  while  through  their  chanted 
responses  they  help  the  controlling  spirit  to  tear  itself  loose  from  the  body  of  the 
diviner.  This  was  not  mimicry  only,  but  an  extraorcfinary  visualization, 
through  personality,  of  that  phase  of  native  life  which  is  completely  dominated 
by  belief  in  the  presence  of  unseen  spirits.  Indeed,  like  a  parasite  itself,  the 
•controlling  idea  of  witchcraft  has  fastened  on  savage  Africa  a  veritable  curse  of 


SONGS  AND  TALES 


fear  and  superstition,  blocking  progress.  Yet  this  is  only  one  of  the  backward 
pulls  upon  the  black  man  in  his  cultural  evolution.  Climate,  wild  beasts,  poison- 
ous plant-growth,  pests  (the  hook-worm,  the  tse-tse  fly,  the  malarial  mosquito) — 
these  are  but  a  few  of  the  handicaps  which  tropical  Africa,  with  heavy  hand, 
has  laid  upon  her  children.  Yet,  as  though  the  struggle  for  normal  human 
development  were  not  already  hard  enough  in  such  a  land,  to  nature's  burdens 
have  been  added  the  deliberate  demoralizations  that  the  coming  of  the  white 
man  so  often  thrusts  upon  savage  countries.  To  hear  at  first  hand  of  the  terrible 
intoxicants  sold  to  ignorant  and  unsuspecting  natives  by  Europeans  and  Amer- 
icans, and  of  the  alcoholic  drink  distilled  from  sugarcane  with  which  those  who 
call  themselves  civilized  debauch  whole  villages — this  makes  the  "white  man's 
burden"  seem  indeed  an  ominous  load,  especially  when  one  realizes  how  black 
men  are  still  compelled  to  toil  without  pay  for  white  masters  through  industrial 
systems  that  are  slavery  in  all  but  name.  "And,"  said  Sima'ngo,  "when  we  try 
to  learn  and  rise  a  little,  even  those  white  people  who  want  to  be  just  and  kind 
still  like  us  to  feel  the  weight  of  their  hand  upon  our  head.  The}^  wish  us  to 
know  that  we  may  not  rise  higher  than  they  allow." 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  hope  and  courage  that  lay  behind  Sima'ngo's  eyes, 
there  would  have  been  something  wistful  and  at  times  tragic  in  the  boy's  quiet 
but  fully  intelligent  recognition  of  the  shadow  that  lay  across  the  pathway  of  his 
people.  Yet,  in  the  capacity  of  the  black  race  for  deep  religious  devotion  and 
childlike  faith  in  spiritual  teachings,  lies  a  great  power  for  advance,  and  this 
Sima'ngo  knew;  for  the  converted  African,  no  less  than  the  American  Negro,  is 
profoundly  a  Christian,  and  he  clings  with  real  longing  to  the  ideal  of  divine  love 
and  human  brotherhood,  however  emotional  and  fantastic  may  be  at  times  the 
expression  of  his  belief. 

Indeed,  the  black  man  is  in  most  things  emotional  by  nature.  The  love  of 
music  with  the  necessity  for  self-utterance  in  song  is  a  fluent  evidence  of  the  warm 
upwelling  of  feeling  in  the  African  people.  Sima'ngo  had  brought  with  him  to 
our  home  a  "mbi'la,"  a  small  native  instrument,  and  this  was  his  constant  com- 
panion. When  he  was  not  working  with  me,  writing  his  dictionary,  or  studying 
his  testament,  he  would  sit  quietly  by  himself,  playing  his  mbi'la  with  a  rapt  and 
faraway  look — dreaming  of  home. 

The  mbi'la  was  made  of  a  block  of  wood  about  a  foot  long  and  some  three 
inches  thick,  the  lower  end  of  which  was  partially  hollowed  out  to  give  resonance, 
like  a  rudimentary  sounding-board.  Attached  to  the  flat  surface  were  thin 
tongues  of  metal,  one  end  fastened  to  the  instrument,  the  other  free  to  vibrate 
when  snapped  downward  and  outward  by  the  thumbs  and  fingers.  At  the  lower 
end  of  the  mbi'la  were  pinned  thin  disks  of  tin,  two  on  each  pin,  which  vibrated 
when  the  metal  tongues  were  played  upon.  The  silvery,  tinkling  tones  accom- 
panied by  the  constant  jingling  buzz  of  the  vibrating  disks  sounded  like  a  brook 
purling  over  stones  amid  rustling  reeds.  It  was  a  most  poetic  and  sylvan  music, 
evoked  by  the  little  mbi'la  which  seemed  the  very  voice  of  nature.  Cried  a  white 
musician  who  overheard  Sima'ngo  improvising:  "How  can  human  touch  bring 
forth  such  sounds.^ — When  that  African  boy  plays,  the  forest  speaks!" 

The  tunes  for  the  mbi'la  usually  consisted  in  rapid  running  phrases,  always 
rhythmic,  sometimes  of  even  beat  and  length,  sometimes  sharply  uneven.    Though 


C.  KAMBA  SIMANGO 

In  native  dress 

Graduate  Hampton  Institute,  Virginia,  U.  S.  A. 

Student  at  Columbia  University,  New  York 

(Background,  hand-woven  African  fabrics  of  native  cotton) 


C.  KAMBA  SIMANGO 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT 


no  groups  of  phrases  actually  matched  each  other  as  In  more  stereotyped  civilized 
music,  yet  they  always  made  a  distinct  musical  design.  They  reminded  me  of 
the  tuneful  drip  of  raindrops  tinkling  down  in  different  pitch,  for  however 
rhythmically  the  drops  may  fall,  they  never  twice  follow  each  other  in  identically 
the  same  sound-pattern. 

Sima'ngo  loved  to  improvise,  making  up  tunes  and  forming  new  combinations 
of  the  mbi'la's  bell-like  intervals.  So  skilled  was  he  that  he  could  hold  the  in- 
strument behind  his  head  and  play  it  upside  down.  One  day  he  surprised  me  by 
going  to  the  piano;  using  his  two  forefingers  stiffly  like  drum-sticks,  he  beat  out 
some  of  the  mbi'la  melodies  on  the  nearest  approximate  tones  of  the  keyboard. 
In  this  way,  too,  he  played  for  me  tunes  of  the  "mari'mba,"  another  and  better 
known  African  instrument  whose  mechanism,  although  the  material  is  wood  with 
gourd  resonators,  corresponds  somewhat  to  that  of  the  xylophone.  It  was  im- 
mensely interesting  to  watch  these  experiments  in  a  totally  new  manner  of  manip- 
ulating the  keyboard,  for  Sima'ngo  never  failed  to  use  his  fingers  as  drum- 
sticks, since  he  was  but  transferring  to  the  piano  the  technique  of  the  mari'mba. 
But  the  tones  did  not  always  correspond,  and  the  boy  would  sigh  with  disap- 
pointment and  say  quietly:  "This  note  is  too  high  and  the  next  one  is  too  low 
and  there  is  none  in  between!" — an  unconscious  commentary  on  the  limitations 
and  crude  inflexibility  of  our  European  tonal  system. 

The  high  development  of  Sima'ngo's  rhythmic  sense  was  amazing.  He  would 
sit  humming  to  himself  while  beating  on  his  chair  a  syncopated  accompaniment 
that  would  have  baffled  many  a  drummer  in  our  modern  orchestras.  Indeed,  I 
was  more  than  once  reminded  of  the  passage  in  H.  E.  Krehbiel's  "Afro-American 
Folksongs,"  in  which  he  says  of  a  group  of  Dahomey  musicians  heard  at  the 
Chicago  World's  Fair:  "The  players  showed  the  most  remarkable  rhythmical 
sense  and  skill  that  ever  came  to  my  notice.  Berlioz  in  his  supremest  effort 
with  his  army  of  drummers  produced  nothing  to  compare  in  artistic  interest 
with  the  harmonious  drumming  of  these  savages I  was  forced  to  the  con- 
clusion that  in  their  command  of  the  element  which  in  the  musical  art  of -the 
ancient  Greeks  stood  higher  than  either  melody  Or  harmony,  the  best  composers 
of  the  day  were  the  veriest  tyros  compared  with  these  black  savages." 

Sima'ngo  knew  the  African  dances  also — strange  and  often  beautiful  steps, 
some  quite  simple,  slow  and  solemn;  others  intricate  and  bewildering  in  their 
rhythmic  elaboration.  Sometimes  in  the  more  rapid  dancing  it  seemed  to  us  as 
though  the  boy's  body  were  loosely  strung  on  a  wire,  like  those  marionettes  whose 
steps  seem  to  be  mere  fluttering  vibrations,  so  fast  did  his  feet  move.  We  were 
particularly  impressed  with  the  dignity  of  many  of  the  native  dances  and  with 
Sima'ngo's  unconscious  nobility  of  mien.  No  white  blood  paled  the  rich  purple- 
black  of  his  skin;  he  was  a  true  child  of  the  Dark  Continent;  simple,  frank,  sin- 
cere, affectionate  and  manly;   open  of  countenance,  tall  and  straight  as  an  assegai. 

My  little  nephews  he  entranced  with  tales  of  the  Hare  (the  original  African 
"Br'er  Rabbit"')  and  of  the  animals  of  folk-lore.  If  the  children  were  ever  inclined 
to  be  naughty  or  noisy,  we  had  but  to  call  Sima'ngo,  and  at  the  first  mention  of  the 
"Hare  and  the  Baboon,"  or  "How  the  animals  dug  their  well,"  quiet  reigned  in 

'See  page  43. 


lo  SONGS  AND  TALES 


the  household.  The  African  with  his  mbi'la  was  a  benign  Pied  Piper;  the  chil- 
dren trailed  after  him  wide-eyed  and  open-mouthed,  or  sat  silently  before  him 
listening  endlessly,  never  tiring.  They  loved  him  dearly,  and  as  Sima'ngo's  stay 
with  us  drew  to  a  close  we  overheardtheir  little  voices  pleading  with  their  mother: 
"O,  zvhy  can't  we  have  him  for  always.^  Why  does  he  have  to  go  back  to  Hamp- 
ton.^    We  want  him  for  ours  T'' 

When  Sima'ngo  left  there  was  not  a  person  in  the  house  or  neighborhood  that 
did  not  miss  him.  Said  the  IrfSh  gardener:  "I  wish  that  African  boy  could  'a' 
stayed!  If  that's  what  a  Negro  school  turns  out,  Fd  like  to  send  my  own  boy 
there!"  Sima'ngo's  little  room  that  he  had  so  scrupulously  cared  for  himself — 
even  washing  and  ironing  his  own  bed-linen — now  seemed  vacant  and  desolate 
to  us  all.  His  dictionary  and  papers  were  gone.  But  in  their  place  beside  the 
lamp,  lay  a  little  letter  which  with  his  usual  delicacy  he  had  silently  left  behind. 
The  letter  was  so  characteristic  in  its  alternating  humor  and  deep  earnestness 
and  also  in  its  naive  allusion  to  the  Arab  (who  naturally  thought  that  the  woman 
who  made  him  feel  at  "liome  was  "homely!") — that  I  give  the  African  boy's 
parting  words  in  full: 

"I  want  to  express  to  you  my  deep  gratitude.  You  have  been  very,  very 
kind  in  every  way  to  me  during  m)'  stay  here.  Your  interest  was  growing  each 
day. 

"I  think  that  you  know  the  story  of  a  man  from  the  East  who,  when  thanking 
Mrs.  Smith,  said,  'Mrs.  Smith,  you  are  the  homeliest  vvoman  that  I  ever  saw.' 
So  on  my  part  I  think  in  many  cases  I  have  showed  or  said  something  which 
would  shock  people  because  of  not  knowing  the  right  thing  or  word  to  say,  but 
in  your  judgment  on  such  a  thing  you  will  know  that  I  just  began  to  climb  the 
tree  of  civilization. 

"Please  extend  my  thankfulness  to  your  mother,  brother  and  sister.  They 
have  been  very  kind  to  me  and  I  got  a  new  lesson  about  white  people. 

C.    KaMBA    SlMANGO. 

September,   191 5." 

Ill 

Hampton,  April,  1918. 

Three  years  have  passed  since  Sima'ngo  and  I  worked  together  over  the 
African  songs.  Inevitable  delays  held  back  the  publication  of  this  book.  And 
now,  I  am  once  more  at  Hampton  for  a  final  revision  of  the  manuscript.  As  I 
meet  Sima'ngo  again,  I  am  not  sorry  that  the  book  is  still  "in  press";  for  the  delay 
has  enabled  me  to  see  with  my  own  eyes  and  to  here  record  how  high  the  African 
boy  has  climbed  on  the  "tree  of  civilization."  Unchanged  in  the  steadfastness 
of  his  purpose  (though  quietly  awaiting  the  possibilities  of  being  drafted  into 
military  service  as  a  subject  of  Rhodesia),  Sima'ngo  has  remained  simple  and  direct, 
while  deeply  matured  by  his  schooling  in  America.  His  keen  intelligence  has 
sent  him  to  the  fore  in  all  his  studies.  He  has  greatly  improved  in  English. 
Though  I  had  always  believed  in  the  boy,  I  confess  that  I  was  astonished  at  the 
position  he  had  won  at  Hampton.     On  parade,  when  the  daily  drill  on  the  campus 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT i_i 

musters  the  whole  school  in  uniform,  it  is  the  African  boy  who  carries  the  In- 
stitute's colors — a  privilege  conferred  in  recognition  of  high  standing  in  class- 
room and  general  conduct.  When  the  prize  was  awarded  to  the  student  who 
had  made  out  and  read  the  best  list  of  books  during  vacation,  it  was  Sima'ngo 
who  carried  off  the  honors.  Twice  the  boy  from  the  Dark  Continent  had  taken 
a  prize  in  speaking  contests  held  by  the  students — and  this  in  English,  to  him  a 
foreign  tongue!' 

Though  Sima'ngo  may  be  exceptionally  intelligent,  the  example  of  his  pro- 
gress during  the  three  years  since  first  I  knew  him  drives  further  home  the  ques- 
tion: Is  there  proven  truth  in  the  white  man's  assertion  that  the  black  man  is 
constitutionally  inferior.^  The  boy  from  the  pagan  kraal,  who  never_  heard  of 
the  alphabet  until  he  was  sixteen  or  seventeen  years  old,  is  now  fitting  himself 
in  evening  hours  for  the  difficult  examinations  imposed  by  the  British  Govern- 
ment on  those  who  would  fill  government  posts  in  South  Africa.  And  we  white 
men,  with  the  blood  of  a  world-war  on  our  heads,  dare  say  to  Sima'ngo  and  his 
people:    "Thus  far  shalt  thou  go  and  no  further".^ — 

NATALIE  CURTIS. 

'Sima'ngo  is  now  (1919)  at  Columbia  University,  New  Yorlc. 


SONGS  AND  TALES 


SIMA'NGO'S  LETTER  TO  THE  READER 

These  are  genuine  African  songs,  uninfluenced  by  European  music.  I,  who 
sang  these  songs  for  tliis  book,  was  not  only  born  in  the  country  where  these 
songs  are  sung,  but  when  I  was  a  boy  I  took  part  in  singing  them  in  different 
kinds  of  dances  and  ceremonies,  and  took  part  also  in  drumming  and  in  playing 
other  African  instruments,  as  "mali'mba,"  "mbi'la,"  etc.  So,  in  singing  them 
for  this  book,  I  sang  what  I  knew  and  did  before  I  went  to  school.  In  writing 
these  songs.  Miss  Curtis  and  I  were  not  satisfied  by  "almost  like  it,"  but  by 
"just  like  it,"  which  work  she  succeeded  in  putting  them  down  just  as  I  sang 
them,  so  that  when  they  are  played  or  sung,  they  undoubtedly  carry  to  ear  the 
real  African  sound  and  time. 

To  everyone  into  whose  hands  these  songs  will  fall,  should  know  that  they 
are  real  African  songs,  "got  from  an  African.  I  have  been  in  this  country  one 
year,  and  I  am  at  Hampton  Institute  studying,  and  I  was  glad  to  do  this  work  so 
as  to  make  known  the  real  African  songs  to  white  people  and  make  them  see  and 
hear  the  real  African  everyday  life  and  movements  in  their  leisure  time  and  in 
time  of  distress,  which  thing  has  always  been  misunderstood  by  travellers.  So, 
by  this  work  it  is  hoped  to  open  interest  on  that  line.  It  is  a  noble  work  of  bring- 
ing the  weak  and  unnoticed  race  to  the  enlightened  people  of  the  civilized  world, 
and  I  was  willing  to  give  every  minute  that  I  could  spare. 

(Signed)   C.  Kamba  Simango. 

September  26,  1915. 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT \j_ 

NOTES  FOR  THE  PRONUNCIATION  OF  CHINDAU'  TEXT 

The  spelling  here  adopted  is  that  which  is  in  common  use  among  the  mission- 
aries of  South  Africa,  who  have  reduced  the  Chindau'  language  to  written  form, 
translated  hymn-books  and  the  Bible  into  the  vernacular,  and  are  teaching  the 
natives  to  read  and  write  their  own  tongue.  A  revised  scientific  and  phonetic 
spelling  of  this  text,  very  kindly  made  by  Professor  Franz  Boas  of  Columbia 
University,  New  York,  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix.  Both  the  author  and 
Ka'mba  Sima'ngo  wish  to  express  their  thanks  to  Dr.  Boas  for  this  revision. 

\^owels  are  given  the  Continental  sounds. 

G  is  always  hard. 

g  (in  italics)  is  a  soft  guttural  with  hard  g  sound  at  the  end. 

/  and  r  (in  italics)  are  interchangeable  according  to  dialect.  /  is  usually  used 
in  the  present  transcription,  and  the  sound  is  between  the  English  1  and  r. 

n  (in  italics)  is  pronounced  like  ng  in  the  English  word  "hang." 

V  (in  italics)  is  a  sound  between  the  English  v  and  w. 

nth  is  not  like  the  English  th,  but  is  a  sound  of  nt,  followed  by  an  aspirate  h. 

th  alone,  is  not  like  the  English  th.  It  is  a  sound  something  like  t,  followed 
by  a  slightly  guttural  h,  like  the  ch  of  German  in  the  word  "ich." 

For  literal  interlineal  translations  of  Chindau  song-zvords,  see  Appendix, 
page  153. 

Unless  otherwise  indicated,  all  words  are  accented  on  the  penultima. 

The  attention  of  the  reader  is  called  to  the  fact  that  in  the  song-words  as 
written  in  verse-form  the  accents  differ  from  those  of  the  ordinary  spoken  words 
as  written  in  the  Appendix.  The  /^andau'  accent  the  words  differently  in 
singing  from  what  they  do  in  speaking,  a  peculiarit}^  also  noticed  in  the  syn- 
copated accents  of  English  Negro  song-words  in  America.  Therefore,  in  order 
that  the  written  verses  should  scan  as  sung,  retaining  their  musical  rhythm,  and 
that  the  eye  of  the  reader  might  catch  this  rhythm  from  the  printed  page,  the 
song-accents  have  been  given  in  the  verses,  while  the  correct  accent  for  the 
spoken  words  is  offered  in  the  Appendix. 


14  SONGS  AND   TALES 


AFRICAN  PROVERBS 

I 

Ka  kulili'la  mu   ha'na  che  ha'mba.  We   weep   in    our    hearts   like   the 

tortoise. 

Meaning:  The  tortoise  has  no  means  of  defence.  He  can  only  draw  himself 
mto  his  shell  and  weep  in  his  own  heart  where  none  can  see,  while  he  patiently 
awaits  his  fate.  So  under  oppression  and  injustice  we  are  defenceless,  nor  may 
we  even  show  our  tears,  which  must  not  fall  down  our  cheeks,  but  only  backward, 
silently,  into  our  hearts. 

This  proverb  refers  to  tyranny  in  every  form,  whether  that  of  conquerors 
over  a  people,  rulers  over  a  tribe,  or  thoughtless  parents  over  children. 

II 

Ho'c'e  ji  no  tet'e'la  mula'mbo  wa'jo.  Fish  follow  their  own  river. 

Meaning:  Even  as  fish  follow  their  own  course  with  their  own  shoal,  so  there 
are  people  of  narrow  sympathies  who  will  never  help  outsiders,  but  only  their 
own  family  and  friends. 

Ill 
A  ndi   chala'mbi   kunu'ma   pa  cho'to  I  do  not   refuse  to  yield  fat  when 

ngo  po  nda'li.  on  the  fire. 

Meaning:    I  must  yield  when  caught  in  the  press  of  circumstances. 

IV 

A  ndi  nyi'swi    nge    chi'lo    chichi'na  I  am  not  vanquished  by  a  thing 

mulo'mo.  which  has  no  mouth. 

Meaning:  Man  must  persevere.  The  thing  that  we  are  trying  to  achieve  has 
no  mouth  to  tell  us  that  we  shall  fail.  We  must  try  until  we  fihd  the  way  to 
success,  for  discouragement  lies  only  in  our  own  faint  heart.  Failure  comes  from 
within. 

V 
Muli'lo  wo  mba'va  a  u   ko'twi.  Warm  not  yourself  at  the  fire  of 

a  thief. 

Meaning:  If  a  thief  steal  corn  or  meat,  he  builds  a  fire  wherewith  to  roast  it, 
then  eats  and  goes  away.  If  you,  in  passing,  see  the  fire  and  warm  yourself 
thereat,  you  may  be  taken  for  the  thief.  Avoid  bad  company,  or  you  may  be 
condemned  with  them,  even  though  innocent. 

VI 
Manthe'de  a  no  fenga'na  pa  kurg'a  Baboons  quarrel  while  eating.     In 

na  pa  mvu'mvu  a  no  besa'na.  danger  they   help  one  another. 

Meaning:  There  are  many  families  who  quarrel  in  times  of  happiness,  peace 
and  plenty;    but  in  sickness  or  danger  they  stand  together  and  help  one  another. 


FROM   THE  DARK  COXTINENT i^ 

BELIEFS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  NDAU  TRIBE' 

(Every  statement  in  this  chapter  was  made  by  the  African,  Kam'ba  Sima'ngo, 
except  the  bracketed  phrases,  which  are  interpolations  by  the  author,  N.  C.)- 

The  landau'  believe  in  a  Being,  "Alulu'ngu"  (Spirit),  who  created  all 
things  and  controls  everything  and  who  is  also  sometimes  called  "Main  le" 
(Creator).  The  same  word,  "Mulu'ngu,"  is  also  used  to  mean  the  spirit  of  the 
dead. 2 

The  ^'andau'  do  not  worship  Mulu'ngu,  although  certain  expressions  used 
by  the  people  show  that  they  recognize  this  Being.  For  instance,  in  the  Rain 
Ceremony,  knowing  that  rain  comes  from  Mulu'ngu,  they  appeal  indirectly  to 
Mulu'ngu  through  the  clouds:  "Thunder-of-the-East,  we  are  dying!"'  Also 
there  is  prevalent  an  expression  sometimes  used  by  healers:  "Mulu'ngu,  nga  no 
ziv'a"  (Mulu'ngu,  he  knows),  meaning  that  the  healing  power  is  alone  from 
Mulu'ngu,  and  not  a  human  attribute.''  Or  if  a  man  be  unfairly  treated  and  find 
that  nothing  can  help  or  justify  him,  he  lifts  his  hand  and  says,  '-'Mulu'ngu,  nga 
no  ziv'a,"  to  protest  his  innocence;  or  "Mulu'ngu,  u  no  vo'na"  (Mulu'ngu,  he 
sees!). 

But  the  supernatural  beliefs  of  most  African  peoples  have  to  do  chiefly  with 
spirits.  The  landau'  believe  that  there  is  no  other  world  than  this,  and  that 
the  souls  of  the  dead  do  not  leave  this  world  to  go  elsewhere,  but  remain  here 
invisible.  Spirits  can  communicate  with  the  living  in  dreams  and  by  obsession, 
also  they  are  sent  by  witches  to  cause  sickness.  Some  people  believe  that  when 
a  man  sleeps,  his  spirit  goes  forth  so  that  dreams  are  an  actual  experience  of  his 
spirit.     When  he  is  slow  in  awakening,  it  is  because  his  spirit  has  gone  afar. 

The  all-pervading  belief  in  witchcraft  is  one  of  the  most  important  factors 
of  African  life.  Another  powerful  influence  is  the  "Nyamso'lo,"  diviner  [com- 
monly called  by  the  whites  "witch-doctor"],  who  detects  witches,  furnishes 
charms  against  witchcraft,  reveals  the  presence  of  malignant  forces,  and  through 
his  own  supernatural  power  rids  the  sick  of  troubling  spirits. 

The  landau'  never  worship  idols  or  animals,  but  they  ask  the  spirits  of  their 
dead  fathers  to  help  and  protect  them  as  the  fathers  did  in  life.  The  father  of 
the  household  has  absolute  authority  and  is  revered  accordingly  [as  indeed  in 
most  forms  of  tribal  life,  especially  among  polygamous  peoples].^  Thus  among 
the  F^andau'  the  father  is  master  of  his  household  as  the  king  is  father  and  master 
of  the  tribe.  To  the  king,  or  great  chief,  the  sub-chiefs  and  the  people  owe  abso- 
lute allegiance,  and  to  the  father  of  the  household  the  wives,  sons  and  daughters 
render  complete  obedience.  A  young  man  brings  his  earnings  to  his  father,  and 
the  father  will  keep  them  for  him,  divide  them,  or  return  them,  as  he  thinks  best. 

'Peculiarities  of  the  language  of  this  tribe  cause  the  tribe  to  be  called  "Ndau,"  the  people  "/'andau','' 
and  the  language  "Chindau'." 

'Compare  with  the  name  of  the  Supreme  Being  among  some  Indian  tribes  of  North  .America:  "The 
Great  Spirit"  or  "The  Great  Mystery." 

'See  Rain  Ceremony,  pages  22,  90. 

'This  is  e.xactly  analogous  to  the  conception  of  the  North  American  Indian. 

'See  Zulu  polygamy,  page  72. 


1 6  SONGS  AND  TALES 


When  the  father  is  dead,  it  is  beHeved  that  he  still  looks  after  the  welfare  of  his 
household.  His  counsel  and  his  help  are  asked,  and  the  son  will  still  lay  offer- 
ings before  the  vacant  place  in  the  hut  and  talk  to  his  father  as  in  life. 
This  veneration  of  the  father,  the  head  of  the  House,  is  one  of  the  strongest 
sentiments  of  patriarchial  and  tribal  peoples,  and  the  father  is  revered  in  death 
as  in  life.^ 

The  landau'  bury  their  dead  in  "sipa,"  graveyards  which  are  often  in  the 
shady  forests.  Here,  of  course,  there  are  many  snakes;  and  when  these  snakes 
are  apparently  free  from  all  hostile  intent  toward  man  (probably  after  they  have 
just  eaten  and  are  therefore  quiet),  the  people  believe  it  is  the  spirits  of  the  dead 
that  have  made  the  snakes  gentle  and  harmless.  They  say  that  such  snakes  are 
"the  snakes  of  the  spirits."^  The  spirits  can  go  everywhere;  but  though  they  have 
power  over  animals,  the  landau'  do  not  believe  that  the  spirits  actually  enter  into 
snakes  or  any  other  animals.  The  spirits  live  as  they  lived  before  when  in  bodily 
form,  but  invisible. 

The  normal  state  of  man  is  healthful  life.  Sickness  and  death  are  abnormal, 
and  when  a  man  dies  it  is  usually  because  he  has  been  bewitched  in  some  way. 
Even  if  he  be  killed  in  battle  it  is  because  some  evil  influence  has  brought  him 
bad  luck.  Death  is  never  natural.  There  is  always  some  cause  for  it.'  A  witch 
is  one  who  influences  others  for  evil  through  charms,  wicked  magic  of  various 
kinds,  and  through  power  over  the  spirits  of  the  dead.-"  Even  animals  that  in- 
jure man,  such  as  lions,  snakes  or  crocodiles,  if  found  near  human  habitations, 
are  sometimes  thought  to  have  been  sent  by  witches.  Witchcraft  is  a  secret 
practice,  for  in  many  tribes  witches  are  killed,  and  among  the  landau'  they  are 
severely  punished.  Most  African  tribes  live  in  constant  fear  of  being  bewitched, 
or  of  being  accused  of  witchcraft.  A  witch  may  kill  a  man  by  magic  (destroying 
bits  of  the  victim's  nail-parings,  scraps  of  his  hair,  any  intimate  belongings,  or 
even  an  image  of  the  man),^  or  he  may  send  the  spirit  of  a  dead  person  to  make  the 
man  sick.  Any  one  may  be  a  witch  in  secret — any  man  or  woman — even  a 
man's  own  wife  might  be  a  witch  without  the  knowledge  of  the  husband.  Thus 
frequent  accusations  of  witchcraft  lead  to  many  a  rupture  of  friendly  relations, 
making  it  difficult  for  large  numbers  of  people  to  dwell  together  in  harmony,  since 
any  sickness  or  death  may  give  rise  to  suspicion  and  to  searching  iiiquiry  as  to 
its  cause. 

Opposing  the  witch  is  the  "Nyamso'lo,"  the  diviner,  who  "smells  out"  witch- 
craft through  supernatural  power  that  is  his  by  virtue  of  a  "Zin/Ai'ki,"  a  familiar 
spirit  or  "demon"*  who  controls  the  diviner  [in  the  sense  that  the  word  "con- 

'Since  the  Hebrews  had  this  same  reverence  for  the  father  of  the  House,  who  was  absolute  lord  over  his 
children,  is  it  not  possible  that  Jesus'  allusion  to  "the  Father"  implied  that  Hebraic  veneration  for  the  ruler 
that  made  even  the  human  father  almost  an  object  of  worship?  (See  inter-relation  of  Semitic  and  African 
cultures,  pages  xiv,  xvi.) 

'White  people  have  believed  that  the  Tandau  thought  that  the  spirits  of  their  ancestors  entered  into 
snakes,  but  this  is  not  true  of  this  tribe. 

'Compare  with  Zulu  statement,  page  76.  See  also  "Mate'ka,"  Song  of  the  Rain  Ceremony  No. 
II,  page  23. 

■•Compare  with  witchcraft  in  mediaeval  Europe — Encyclopedia  Britannica.  Also,  see  Introduction 
to  this  volume,  page  xvii. 

'This  is  almost  identical  with  the  beliefs  and  superstitions  of  mediaeval  Europe. 

'"Demon:  A  supernatural  protector  or  helper."  Century  Dictionary.  Compare  with  Witch  of 
Endor  in  Old  Testament. 


DIVINERS 

Called  b\'  the  XMiitcs  "\\  itch  Doctors' 


Note  the  "niaze'mbe"  (divining  "bones"),  on  tlie  mat  in  front  of  the  diviner  to  the  right; 
also  the  wand  tipped  with  an  antelope's  tail  in  the  hand  of  the  diviner  to  the  left. 


FROM   THE  DARK  CONTINENT 17 

trol"  is  used  in  modern  spiritualism],  taking  possession  of  his  body  and  speaking 
through  him.  This  Famihar  Spirit  is  a  being  whose  works  are  friendly  to  man; 
it  is  a  spirit  who  comes  from  afar,  for  it  can  never  be  the  spirit  of  any  relative  or 
of  a  friend.  When  the  diviner  is  obsessed  by  the  Familiar  Spirit,  his  eyes  are 
closed,  or  else  fixed  and  glass}',  the  body  shudders,  trembles  and  rocks  slightly, 
while  the  voice  is  hoarse,  guttural  and  unnatural.  The  diviner  is  himself  un- 
conscious of  what  goes  on,  and  after  returning  to  himself  has  no  memory  of  what 
has  been  said  or  done  while  the  Familiar  Spirit  obsessed  his  body.  The  Familiar 
Spirit  it  is  who  can  detect  the  presence  of  a  spirit  which  is  troubling  a  sick  man 
and  causing  the  illness,  and  it  is  through  the  agency  of  the  diviner  and  his  Familiar 
Spirit  that  the  troubling  spirit  may  be  communed  with,  reasoned  with,  pro- 
pitiated and  finally  induceei  to  leave.  [The  African  diviner  corresponds,  in  fact, 
to  what  modern  spiritualists  would  call  a  "medium."]  Women  as  well  as  men 
are  Nyamso'lo,  diviners.  They  carry  a  wand  tipped  with  an  antelope-tail,  and 
are  usually  accompanied  in  their  duties  by  an  assistant  or  attendant;  if  the 
diviner  be  a  man,  the  attendant  may  be  one  of  his  wives;  if  a  woman,  she  will 
probably  be  accompanied  by  her  husband;  or  the  attendant  ma}',  in  either  case, 
be  a  friend. 

Not  all  sickness  is  caused  by  witchcraft  or  spirits.  Much  is  ordinar}-  sick- 
ness which  can  be  cured  by  drugs.  Besides  the  diviners  (the  Nyamso'lo,  who 
can  always  find  the  cause  of  sickness),  there  are  other  healers  called  "iVa'nga," 
or  "Be'ze,"  men  and  women  who  are  literally  doctors  of  medicine  or  apothecaries, 
and  who  cure  with  drugs,  herbs,  sweat-baths  and  other  natural  agencies.  They 
may  also  induce  a  troubling  spirit  to  depart  from  a  sick  man,  though  this  is  not 
their  peculiar  function  as  it  is  that  of  the  diviner- (the  Nyamso'lo),  because  the 
diviners  are  the  only  doctors  who  have  Familiar  Spirits.  All  healers  of  all  kinds, 
however,  make  medicine  and  charms  to  protect  people  from  witchcraft,  to  ward 
off  evil,  to  avert  danger,  to  win  love  and  allegiance,  to  insure  success  in  hunting, 
and  so  on.  The  iV^a'nga  also  foresee  the  future,  detect  criminals,  find  lost 
articles,  and  soothsay.  The  doctors  and  apothecaries  as  well  as  the  diviners 
carry  pouches  containing  the  "Maze'mbe" — a  collection  of  small  bones  of 
different  animals,  bits  of  tortoise-shell,  crocodile-scales,  etc.  These  are  for  the 
purposes  of  divination.  Some  doctors  and  diviners  use  as  many  as  fifty 
of  these  "Maze'mbe";  others  do  not  know  how  to  use  more  than  six.  But  all 
must  use  at  least  six.  The  Maze'mbe  are  shaken  in  the  hands  [like  dice  in  a  box] 
and  then  thrown  on  the  ground.  From  the  position  of  the  different  articles, 
whether  they  fall  with  the  inside  or  the  outside  uppermost,  the  doctor  divines 
certain  truths  and  reasons  out  certain  conclusions  [he  reads  the  Maze'mbe  as 
a  white  man  reads  cards  in  fortune-telling].  Of  course,  in  cases  of  ordinary 
sickness,  where  a  simple  dose  of  medicine  is  the  obvious  cure,  no  Maze'mbe  are 
used.  Every  man,  however,  seeks  for  charms  of  some  kind  to  protect  him  from 
witchcraft,  or  to  win  him  the  things  he  desires.  If  a  man  build  a  new  house  in 
a  fresh  spot  he  goes  to  the  diviner,  who  gives  him  medicine  which,  sprinkled  about, 
will  keep  poisonous  snakes  away  and  fortify  the  place  against  evil  influences  and 
bad  spirits.  When  a  new  king  comes  into  power  he  seeks  from  all  the  diviners 
and  doctors,  far  and  near,  charms  and  medicines  to  ward  off  dangers  and  ills  and 
to  make  the  people  give  him  their  affection  and  loyalty.     Often  the  diviners  lie 


SONGS  AND  TALES 


and  trick  the  people;   yet  often  they  tell  the  truth.     The  people  believe  in  them, 
though  if  sometimes  a  diviner  is  proved  false  he  loses  favor  and  is  shunned. 

A  typical  case  of  the  diviner's  treatment  of  the  sick  might  be  as  follows: 
A  man  lies  grievously  ill.  He  sends  for  the  diviner.  Perhaps  he  suspects  some 
man  of  having  bewitched  him;  or  perhaps  if  he  himself  be  guilty  of  having 
killed  another  man  by  witchcraft,  he  knows  that  his  present  sickness  is  caused 
by  the  spirit  of  the  man  whom  he  killed.  But  he  does  not  tell  the  diviner;  it  is 
for  the  diviner,  if  he  be  a  true  one,  to  find  out  the  trouble.  The  diviner  throws 
his  Maze'mbe  and  reads  them.  This  constitutes  one  ceremony.  If  the  man  be 
very  ill  [with  epilepsy,'  perhaps],  and  the  diviner  sees  at  once  that  a  spirit  is 
troubling  him  and  there  is  no  time  to  lose,  he  goes  to  work  immediately  to  take 
out  the  spirit,  without  throwing  the  Maze'mbe  first.  If  no  spirit  is  troubling  the 
man  and  ordinary  medicine  will  suffice,  the  diviner  himself  doctors  the  patient 
quite  simply,  without  spiritual  practices.  If,  however,  it  be  indeed  a  spirit 
that  is  causing  the  trouble,  then  follows  the  ceremony  of  supernatural  intercourse 
with  this  spirit.  "Man/Zii'ki,"  spirit-songs,  are  sung  by  the  diviner  and  by  the 
people  who  have  gathered,  and  sometimes  there  is  a  dance  and  the  diviner 
works  himself  into  a  state  of  ecstasy  or  frenzy,  when  his  Familiar  Spirit  "wakes" 
within  him  and  assumes  control.  Now  the  spirits  who  come  to  injure  a  man 
can  kill  him,  but  they  themselves  can  never  be  killed,  for  they  are  deathless. 
They  can  only  be  sent  away.  The  spirits  of  babies  or  of  feeble  old  people  in 
their  second  childhood  have  not  power  enough  to  kill  when  they  affect  a  living 
person,  but  if  a  strong  spirit  trouble  a  man,  these  weaker  spirits  can  lend  their 
aid.  So  the  first  duty  of  the  diviner  is  usually  to  rid  the  sick  man  of  the  "Nji'mu," 
or  weak  spirits;  then,  after  the  strong  spirit  has  thus  been  bereft  of  all  support, 
the  diviner  will  treat  with  him  alone.  He  "takes  out"  the  weak  spirits  by  stroking 
the  sick  person  with  his  "Mvi'ngo,"  a  wand  tipped  with  an  antelope-tail,  decor- 
ated with  beads  and  filled  with  "medicine."  He  sniffs  the  "Mvi'ngo,"  and  if 
through  this  inhaling  he  catches  a  spirit,  he  cries  "We'nsia!"  like  a  loud  sneeze, 
which  expels  the  spirit.  So  he  continues,  until  he  is  convinced  that  he  has 
removed  all  the  weak  spirits.  Now  sometimes  the  strong  spirit,  finding  itself 
thus  alone  and  unsupported,  leaves  the  sick  man.  It  runs  away  and  hides, 
fearful  of  being  discovered  and  revealed.  But  it  must  be  found.  _For  unless  it 
has  been  reasoned  with  and  propitiated,  it  will  return  when  the  diviner  is  gone. 
The  Familiar  Spirit  controlling  the  diviner  knows  how  to  find  the  fleeing  spirit. 
He  blows  a  whistle  made  of  the  horn  of  the  antelope  to  call  the  spirit  back. 
If  he  has  not  the  power  thus  to  induce  the  spirit  to  return,  he  goes  after  it  on  his 
hands  and  knees,  making  strange  noises  like  an  animal  chasing  its  quarry.  (This 
statement  [to  the  end  of  the  paragraph]  was  made  to  Ka'mba  Sima'ngo  by  a 
diviner,  and  is  here  repeated,  though  Sima'ngo  says  that  "no  one  can  confirm 
as  true  anything  concerning  things  so  mysterious  as  spirits.")  When  this  hiding 
spirit  is  finally  captured,  it  may  sometimes  fall  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  diviner, 
and  if  it  be  very  strong,  the  diviner  often  drops  to  the  ground  as  though  fainting. 
The  troubling  spirit,  now  in  the  power  of  the  diviner's  Familiar  Spirit,  enters 
also  into  the  diviner,  while  the    Familiar  Spirit  sinks   down  to  the  breast  and 

'A  not  uncommon  disease  among  the  natives. 


FROM  THE  DJRK  CONTINENT 19 

abdomen,  lca\'ing  the  upper  part  of  the  di\-iner's  body  in  the  control  of  the 
captured  spirit,  so  that  this  latter  may  now  speak  through  the  diviner's  mouth 
and  answer  questions. 

The  attendant  of  the  diviner,  or  perhaps  one  of  the  friends  of  the  sick  man, 
now  greets  the  spirit  and  questions  it,  asking  its  name,  why  it  is  here,  and  what 
its  grievance.  The  spirit  may  then  confess  that  it  has  been  sent  to  kill  the  man, 
and  tells  the  reason.  Then  the  people  ask  it,  "What  do  you  want.^"  They  offer 
a  gift,  that  the  spirit  may  go  away  satisfied  and  cease  troubling  the  man.  The 
spirit  tells  what  it  would  like  to  have — perhaps  the  gift  of  a  piece  of  cloth,  per- 
haps food.  The  family  of  the  sick  man  therefore  bring  such  an  offering  and  it  is 
placed  in  a  wooden  bowl  or  in  a  hollow  gourd.  The  diviner  then  sneezes  into  the 
gift,  crying  "We'nsia!"  which  expels  the  spirit,  who  thus  leaves  the  diviner's 
body.  The  Familiar  Spirit  then  again  assumes  complete  control,  while  the  people 
carry  off  the  bowl  of  gifts  and  cast  the  cloth,  or  whatever  article  the  spirit  may 
have  desired,  into  the  bush,  away  from  the  dwellings  of  people  and  from  passers- 
by.  They  are  careful  to  carry  with  them  the  wand  of  the  diviner  in  order  that 
the  spirit  shall  remain  afar  with  the  gifts  and  not  return  with  them. 

Sometimes  the  troubling  spirit  is  not  easily  appeased  and  demands  far  more 
than  a  gift  of  cloth.  If  the  spirit  be  that  of  a  man  who  was  killed  by  witchcraft 
it  may  take  its  revenge  by  making  sick  the  members  of  the  witch's  family.  And 
this  spirit  would  be  very  hard  to  propitiate;  it  might  cause  illness  and  death 
among  all  the  household  of  the  witch  and  come  back  many,  many  times.  It 
might  require,  to  be  satisfied,  that  a  girl  be  given  free,  without  pay,i  as  wife  to 
some  friend  of  the  spirit,  still  alive.  This  friend  would  fill  all  a  son-in-law's 
duties,  but  he  would  not  have  to  pay  the  father-in-law  for  the  girl,  as  is  the  usual 
custom.  He  would  have  her  for  nothing  as  a  free  gift,  to  appease  the  spirit, 
which  would  then  be  satisfied  and  depart. 

Of  course,  the  diviner  is  paid  for  his  work,  which  differs  with  different  cases. 
He  usually  gives  medicine  to  the  sick  person  besides  dealing  with  the  troubling 
spirit.  Nor  does  the  troubling  spirit  always  come  to  harm  the  sick  person. 
Sometimes,  if  the  illness  be  slight,  it  may  be  caused  by  a  friendly  spirit  who  can 
find  no  other  way  to  draw  the  attention  of  friends  or  family  to  the  fact  that  a 
spirit  wishes  to  make  itself  known.  In  such  a  case,  it  might  be  the  father  of  a 
household  who  causes  some  slight  illness,  usually  to  a  child — a  cough,  perhaps, 
or  a  headache.  The  diviner  is  summoned,  and  he  throws  his  bones  and  then 
announces,  "Your  father"  (or  it  might  be  another  relative,  or  a  friend)  "is  ask- 
ing for  something."  Then  the  offering  is  made,  and  the  sick  person  is  supposed 
to  recover.  To  make  some  one  ill  in  order  to  draw  attention  to  a  want,  is  often 
the  only  way  that  a  spirit  can  communicate. 

The  sick  man  can  invite  people  to  the  healing,  or  not,  as  he  likes.  If  the 
healing  take  place  in  the  hut  with  all  doors  closed,  outsiders  do  not  enter.  If 
the  healing  is  not  to  be  private,  the  neighbors  are  invited  to  help  in  the  singing, 
and  others  who  hear  the  singing  and  dancing  will  gather,  knowing  that  the 
ceremony  is  a  public  one. 


'See  Zulu  statement,  page  72. 


20  SONGS  AND  TALES 


MATE'KA 

SONG  OF  THE  RAIN  CEREMONY 

I 

"Alate'ka"  means  "Ceremony,"  and  when  the  word  is  used  alone,  "Rain 
Ceremony"  is  understood;  at  the  death  of  a  chief  a  somewhat  similar  ceremony 
is  held  which  is  called  "Mate'ka-o-Mali'lo,"  "Ceremony  of  Mourning." 

These  Rain-Songs  are  old.  Many  Chindau'  songs  are  ephemeral,  but  the 
Rain-Songs  are  usualh'  traditional.  They  were  composed  by  the  upper  classes  or 
men  of  rank  because  the  rain  ceremonies  are  solemn  and  important  rites  which 
concern  the  welfare  of  the  whole  nation  and  are  held  at  the  command  of  the  king. 
A  rainless  year  means  famine  to  the  Fandau',  so  that  the  prayer  for  rain  is  a  cry 
of  distress  from  the  heart  of  the  people.  When  singing  this  song,  the  aged  men 
and  women  weep  and  wail,  remembering  the  old  companions  with  whom  they 
used  to  dance  and  who  are  now  no  more. 

The  order  of  the  ceremony  is  as  follows:  Each  family  brings  its  own  basket 
of  "mapfu'nde"  (corn  with  which  to  make  the  "do'lo,"  native  beer),  and  the 
people  engage  in  the  brewing,  which  takes  usually  about  seven  days.  Mean- 
while the  people  sing  and  dance  from  evening  until  midnight.  On  the  last  day, 
when  the  beer  is  finished,  they  dance  from  sunset  till  sunset.  They  make  a 
wooden  stand  and  on  this  they  place  the  drums,  usually  four  in  number,  all  being 
of  different  size  to  emit  different  tones.  These  are  special  drums  used  in  cere- 
monial dances  for  rain  or  for  the  spirits.  They  are  known  as  "Ngo'ma  hu'lu," 
big  round  drum;  "Mbiku'la,"  middle-sized  round  drum  of  different  pitch, 
whose  name  means  "changing"  because  it  is  used  "when  the  tone  is  changed" 
— in  other  words  as  a  tonal  link  between  the  big  drum  and  the  little  drums; 
and  "Mitu'mba,"  the  two  small  round  drums. ^  The  drums  are  made  of 
hollowed  wood  slightly  narrowed  and  rounded  at  the  bottom,  where  there  is  a  hole 
to  let  out  the  air.  Across  the  open  mouth  of  the  upper  section  is  stretched  the  skin 
of  a  calf  or  antelope.  Some  drummers  are  so  skilled  that  they  can  beat  two  drums 
at  once,  but  usually,  for  religious  dances,  each  man  beats  only  one  drum  and 
there  are  therefore  four  drummers. 

The  beer-making  for  the  Rain  Ceremony  is  in  itself  a  ceremonial  act.  When 
the  beer  is  finished,  the  people  pour  some  of  it  upon  the  earth  as  an  offering,  to 
indicate  the  flow  of  rain.  On  the  last  day  of  the  ceremony,  they  visit  the  graves 
of  the  dead  and  pour  a  few  drops  on  the  ground  or  under  a  tree,  wherever  they 
think  that  the  spirits  might  come  to  rest.  This  is  a  purely  symbolic  act  to  show 
reverence  for  the  dead.  The  man  who  pours  the  beer  calls  the  name  of  the  man 
who  has  last  died — the  youngest  man  among  the  spirits — and  says:    "We  offer 

a  sacrifice,  take  this  to "  (mentioning  the  name  of  the  man  who  died 

just  before);  then  he  repeats  the  same  formula,  asking  the  spirit  of  the  second 
dead  man  to  bear  the  sacrifice  to  a  third,  and  so  on,  till  the  names  of  those  who 
died  long  ago  are  reached.     Each  time  he  pronounces  the  message  and  speaks  the 

'Singular  form,  "Mutu'mba." 


FROM  THE  DJRK  CONTINENT 2i_ 

name  of  the  spirit,  the  people,  after  the  name  is  mentioned,  solemnly  clap  their 
hands  three  times — two  little  short  hand-claps  each  time  with  a  pause  between, 
signifying  "so  be  it."  The  soul  of  a  man  does  not  die,  nor  can  it  enter  the  grave 
with  the  bod}'.  Therefore,  when  the  people  offer  food  or  beer,  they  place  it 
elsewhere  than  on  the  graves,  sometimes  in  the  house  of  those  who  make  the 
offering  (as  though  the  spirit  were  their  guest)  and  often  under  a  shady  tree, 
which  is  a  lovely  resting-place  where  the  spirit  might  linger;  for  the  spirit  never 
clings  to  the  dead  body,  but  goes  everywhere.' 

This  song  is  a  cry  of  distress.  The  rain  has  failed,  the  crops  will  fail  and  the 
people  will  perish.  The  landau'  say  that  when  a  person  dies,  he  must  go  alone. 
In  living,  people  can  share  all  things,  and  can  suffer  together;  but  dying  cannot 
be  shared;  even  when  surrounded  by  children  and  those  we  love,  each  one  of  us 
must  go  alone.     Thus  the  opening  words  of  this  song: 

"No  child  can  now  go  with  me — aye!" 

To  the  landau'  the  exclamation  "O  Mother!"  has  come  to  mean  a  general 
exclamation  of  distress,  an  invocation,  even  as  the  white  man  cries  "O  Heaven!" 
or  "O  God!";  for  the  very  word  "Mother"  means  one  who  cares  for  the  helpless 
and  is  an  ever-present  succor.  "Mother"  is  one  who  listens,  who  is  always 
tender,  always  faithful.  So  the  people  sing  in  their  misery  and  want,  like  hungry 
children  crying  to  their  mother.- 

While  performing  this  ceremony,  all  the  minds  of  the  people  are  concentrated 
upon  it.  Even  as  when  a  country  is  fighting,  the  people  put  all  their  faith  in 
their  army,  so  now  when  the  country  is  starving,  they  depend  on  the  Rain  Cere- 
mony of  which  the  drumming  is  the  life-pulse.  If  the  ceremony  should  fail,  there 
would  be  no  hope  left  and  the  drum  would  be  as  the  grave  of  the  nation. 

Now  among  the  /^andau'  there  are  different  groups  of  people:  Those  who 
live  by  the  coast;  those  who  live  further  back,  but  on  lowland;  those  who  are  in- 
land dwellers  on  higher  land,  and  are  called  the  highland  people;  and  those  who 
live  in  the  mountains,  and  are  called  the  mountain  people.  Each  group  prides 
itself  on  being  better  than  the  others.  In  this  song  it  is  the  lowland  people  who 
are  supposed  to  be  singing,  and  they  ask:  "Know  ye  the  way  the  highland  people 
drum.'"    meaning  that  these  are  lowland  people  drumming;    "do  they  play  as 

'Some  white  observers,  seeing  offerings  beneath  the  trees,  have  made  the  superficial  mistalce  (un- 
fortunately characteristic)  of  supposing  that  the  natives  worshipped  trees. 

''Miss  Mary  Kingsley,  in  her  book  "West  African  Studies"  (p.  373),  makes  the  following  quotation 
from  the  Rev.  Leighton  Wilson: 

"Whatever  other  estimate  we  may  form  of  the  African,  we  may  not  doubt  his  love  for  his  mother. 
Her  name,  whether  dead  or  alive,  is  always  on  his  lips  and  in  his  heart.  She  is  the  first  thing  he  thinks  of 
when  awakening  from  his  slumbers  and  the  last  thing  he  remembers  when  closing  his  eyes  in  sleep;  to  her 
he  confides  secrets  which  he  would  reveal  to  no  other  human  being  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  He  cares  for 
no  one  else  in  time  of  sickness,  she  alone  must  prepare  his  food,  administer  his  medicine,  perform  hisablutions, 
and  spread  his  mat  for  him.  He  flies  to  her  in  the  hour  of  his  distress,  for  he  well  knows  if  all  the  rest  of 
the  world  turn  against  him,  she  will  be  steadfast  in  her  love,  whether  he  be  right  or  wrong." 

The  Rev.  Leighton  Wilson's  "Western  .Africa"  (pp.  116-117)  contains  the  following  paragraph: 
"If  there  be  any  cause  which  justifies  a  man  using  violence  toward  one  of  his  fellow-men  it  would  be  to 
resent  an  insult  offered  to  his  mother.  More  lights  are  occasioned  among  boys  by  hearing  something  said 
in  disparagement  of  their  mothers  than  all  other  causes  put  together.  It  is  a  common  saying  among  them, 
if  a  man's  mother  and  his  wife  are  both  on  the  point  of  being  drowned,  and  he  can  save  only  one  of  them,  he 
must  save  his  mother,  for  the  avowed  reason  if  the  wife  is  lost  he  may  marry  another,  but  he  will  never  find 
a  second  mother."     See  also  "Mafuve,"  Dance  of  Girls,  this  book,  page  29,  and  Zulu  Lullaby,  page  66. 


22 


SONGS  AND  TALES 


well  as  the  people  of  the  lowlands?" — And  the  indirect  answer  tells  how  the  low- 
land people  drum,  for  they  reply  that  the  coastpeople  do  not  know  this  way  of 
playing;  it  is  they  who  are  poor  drummers. 

Though  the  form  of  the  song,  with  its  refrain,  is  traditional,  the  singing  is 
always  extemporaneous,  and  verses  are  made  up  by  the  leader.  The  opening 
phrase  with  words  is  sung  by  a  leader  and  the  people  all  join  in  the  refrain,  even 
as  in  Negro  songs  in  America  the  leader  sings  an  extemporaneous  verse  and  the 
people  join  in  the  chorus.  Of  course,  if  the  people  already  know  the  words  sung 
by  the  leader,  they  may  sing  them  too;  the  words  here  noted  are  traditional  and 
have  been  long  in  use.  But  as  this  one  song  is  sometimes  sung  for  three  hours 
at  a  time,  new  verses  are  constantly  composed.  The  age  of  this  song  was  un- 
known, but  the  Mundau''  singer  who  sang  it  for  this  recording  states  that  it  was 
old  before  his  father  was  born. 

{Metrical  and  literal  translation) 

A  ndi'na  mwana'  wokwe'nda  na  ye,  zee     No  child  may  journey  with  me,  ne'er  a 


yo  we — 

/^ulo'mbo,  mai,  we! 

Ngoma'  hu'lu-yo  ngo  gu'j'a  la'ngu,  zci 


yo  we- 


^ulo'mbo,  mai,  we! 


one,  we  yo  we — 

Distress,  Mother,  woe! 

The   Big   Drum   waiteth   for   me    as    a 
grave,  we  yo  we — 

Distress,  Mother,  woe! 


Ndozo'    yi'gwa-mwo   no   nda'fa   pano'.     And  dying,   I   shall  be  buried   therein, 


we  yo  we — 

^ulo'mbo,  mai,  we! 

Chimu'kwi'lo    mu'no     chi'konac'o'.'    zee 
yo  zve — 

^ulo'mbo,  mai,  we  I 

A^amwe'mba  doco'  haca'  lu  koni'!  zve  yo 
we — 

^ulo'mbo,  mai,  we! 


we  yo  we — 

Distress,  Mother,  woe! 

The     Upland    manner    of    drumming, 
know  ye?  zve  yo  zve — 

Distress,  Mother,  woeJ 

No  Coastland  people  can  drum  in   this 
way!  we  yo  we — 

Distress,  Mother,  woe! 


MATE'KA 

Song  of  the  Rain  Ceremony 

II 

Nyamakamba'la 

Thunder-of-the-East 


The  sky  is  made  of  a  hard  substance  like  iron,  that  makes  a  noise  when 
struck.2  From  the  East  we  hear  Nyakamba'la,  "the  Thunder-of-the-East,"  and 
this  means  that  rain  is  coming.     The  thunder  is  caused  by  Halakavu'ma,  "the 

'"Mundau',"  singular  form  of  Fandau'. 

'The  iron  slcy  of  African  mythology  surely  goes  to  prove  the  important  part  that  iron  played  in  the 
life  of  prehistoric  Africa.     (See  Introduction,  page  xv.) 


FROM   THE  D.4RK  COX  TIN  EN  T 


Noisemaker,"  who  dwells  in  the  sky  and  looks  like  a  great  river  tortoise.  There 
are  many  Halakavu'ma,  and  during  a  storm  they  fight  in  the  air  and  make  a  great 
noise  as  they  strike  each  other,  because  they  are  hard.  Also  they  hit  against  the 
iron  sky,  which  reverberates,  and  the  terrible  sound  of  the  Halakavu'ma  in 
battle  is  the  thunder. 

Mbe'ni,  "the  Outspread-One,"  is  the  lightning,  and  this  is  a  bird  whose  right 
wing  is  tipped  with  fire.'  The  left  wing  is  dark.  There  are  many  lightning- 
birds  and  these,  too,  fight  in  the  air.  One  can  hear  the  crackling  of  their  fiery 
wings  as  they  strike  each  other  in  battle  or  against  the  metal  sky;  and  one  can 
see  the  flame  too  as  the  wing  passes  through  the  clouds,  brushes  an  enemy,  or 
knocks  against  the  Iron  heaven. 

If  a  man  is  struck  by  lightning,  it  is  because  a  wizard  has  sent  Mbe  ni,  the 
lightning-bird,  to  kill  him.  No  man  dies  by  nature,  but  only  by  being  bewitched 
in  some  way.-  Sometimes  when  the  Halakavu'rria  are  fighting,  one  will  fall  from 
the  sky.     But  when  found,  it  looks  only  like  a  river  toirtoise! 

In  this  song  the  people  call  upon  Nyamakamba'la,  the  Thunder-of-the- 
East,  who  is  the  precursor  of  rain;  for  without  rain,  the  crops  will  fail  and  the 
people  will  die  of  famine.  The  song  continues  for  an  indefinite  number  of  verses, 
sometimes  for  two  hours,  while  the  singers  call  to  the  peoples  of  different  localities, 
sending  abroad  on  the  air  their  cry  of  distress.  They  call  in  song  only,  for  the 
appeal  is  to  higher  powers  for  rain,  not  for  the  tangible  aid  of  other  men. 
"Mambo'ni,"  "Masha'nga"  and  "Nyali'nge"  are  names  of  places. 

{Metrical  and  literal  translation) 

Nyamakamba'/a'  tape'la.  Thunder-of-the-East,  we're  dying, 

E  we  iye  yo  we.  E  we  iye  yo  we. 

Mbu'li  yo'  'pela'  nyamwa'ka!  And  the  race  will  die  this  season! 

E  we  iye  yo  we.  E  we  iye  yo  we. 

Fa'W  Mu'kwilo  talo'z'a!  O  ye  Highland  folk,  we  perish! 

E  we  iye  yo  we.  E  zee  iye  yo  zee. 

^'a'li  Ku'jombe'  tape'la!  O  ye  Sea-side  folk,  we're  dying! 

E  we  iye  yo  we.  '  E  we  iye  yo  we. 

Fa'Vi  Ma'mboni  talo'ra!  Ye  Mambo'ni  folk,  we  perish! 

E  we  iye  yo  we.  E  zve  iye  yo  we. 

Fu'li  Ma'shanga  tape'la!  Ye  Masha'gna  folk,  we're  dying! 

E  we  iye  yo  zve.  E  we  iye  yo  zve. 

Va'W  Nya'linge  talo'z'a!  Ye  Nyali'nge  folk,  we  perish! 

E  we  iye  yo  we.  E  we  iye  yo  we. 

Nyamakamba'/a  tape'la!  Thunder-of-the-East,  we're  dying! 

E  we  iye  yo  we.  E  we  iye  yo  we. 

'Compare  with  the  North  American  Indians'  belief  in  the  Thunder-Bird. 
^Compare  page  76,  Zulu  section.     Also  see  page  16. 

'The  accent  of  this  word  is  changed  in  singing  from  the  fourth  syllable  to  the  third.  This  rhythmic 
shifting  of  accent  is  found  in  many  of  the  Ndau  songs. 


24 


SONGS  JXD   TALES 


MANrZ/IKI 

SPIRIT-SONG 

I 

Sa'lanyi,  Sa'lanyi 
Farewell,  Farewell 
After  the  "Nyamso'lo"  (diviner)  has  tended  a  patient  by  communicating 
with  the  spirit  which  troubled  the  sick  man,  the  "Zinz/zi'ki,"  or  Familiar  Spirit  who 
controlled  the  diviner  and  worked  through  him,  makes  known  its  wish  to  depart, 
since  its  task,  for  the  moment,  is  ended.'  So  the  Familiar  Spirit,  still  obsessing 
the  "Nyamso'lo,"  sings  through  him  a  farewell  song,  in  which  it  is  joined  by  the 
people. 

While  the  Familiar  Spirit  has  possession,  the  body  rocks  to  and  fro,  and 
often  shudders  slightly.  During  the  singing  of  the  farewell  song,  violent  trem- 
bling sometimes  seizes  the  form  of  the  "Nyamso'lo,"  until  at  last  the  Familiar 
Spirit  frees  itself  in  long  loud  cries  of  "We'nsia!  We'nsia!"  which  is  the  symbolic 
"sneeze"  by  which  spirits  are  expelled  from  the  body.-  The  people  finish  out 
the  phrase  of  the  song,  and  then  stop  singing,  for  the  Familiar  Spirit  is  gone. 

The  song,  accompanied  with  the  clapping  of  hands  and  the  rhythmic  shak- 
ing of  a  gourd  rattle,  is  in  two  parts,  a  higher  and  a  lower  voice,  with  two  rhythmic 
accompaniments  corresponding  to  each  part.  In  the  words  of  the  song,  the  voice 
of  the  Familiar  Spirit  sounds  out  above  that  of  the  people;  in  the  refrain,  which 
is  a  response  to  the  Familiar  Spirit's  farewell,  the  people  are  often  heard  above 
the  Spirit. 

The  song  usually  begins  with  the  words  "Sa'lanyi,  Sa'lanyi"  and  ends  with 
"ndo  mbulu'ka,  ndo  mbulu'ka"  (I  fly,  I  fly!);  but  there  is  no  regular  order  for 
the  other  phrases,  which  are  interchangeable  and  may  be  sung  an  indefinite 
number  of  times  in  varying  order,  until  the  cry  of  "We'nsia!  We'nsia!"^  proclaims 
the  Familiar  Spirit  fied. 

{Metrical  and  literal  translation.) 
Farewell  O,  Farewell  O, 

E  we  ya  yai  yo  zve  yc. 
I  would  leave  you,  I  would  leave  you, 

E  we  ya  yai  yo  zve  ye. 
I'm  going,  I'm  going, 

E  zve  ya  yai  yo  zve  ye. 
Farewell  O,  farewell  O, 

E  zve  ya  yai  yo  zve  ye. 
We  are  parting,  we  are  parting, 

E  zve  ya  yai  yo  zve  ye. 
I  am  flying,  I  am  flying, 
We'nsia!  We'nsia! 


Sa'lanyi,  sa'lanyi! 

E  zve  ya  yai  yo  zve  ye. 
Ndo'da  kwe'nda,  ndo'dai  kwe'nda, 

E  zve  ya  yai  yo  we  ye. 
Ka'  kwe'nda,  ka'  kwe'nda, 

E  we  ya  yai  yo  zve  ye. 
Sa'lanyi,  sa'lanyi! 

E  zve  ya  yai  yo  we  ye. 
Ahvo'chisa'le,  mwo'chisa'le, 

E  zve  ya  yai  yo  we  ye. 
Ndo'  mbulu'ka,  ndo'  mbulu'ka! 
We'nsia!  We'nsia! 


'See  page  18. 

'Compare  with  the  cataleptic  "trances"  of  mediums  in  modern  spiritualism. 

'Some  Nyamso'lo  cry  "We'nsia,"  some  "We'nsia,"  others  "Wo'chi." 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT 25 

MANTZ/FKI 

Spirit-Song 
II 

Nyam'nje'nje 
The  Bird 

When  the  controlling  Familiar  Spirit  or  Demon,  the  "Zin/Ai'ki"  of  the  N\'am- 
so'lo,  has  done  its  work  and  has  detected,  exorcised  and  placated  the  spirit  or 
spirits  that  troubled  the  sick  man,  it  is  itself  ready  to  depart  and  to  leave  the 
body  of  the  diviner.  The  people  who  have  been  attending  the  healing  ceremony 
then  begin  a  chant,  likening  the  departing  Z\nth\'k\  to  a  bird  ready  for  its  home- 
ward flight.  The  second  and  last  verses  of  the  song  may  be  variously  inter- 
preted. One  version  likens  the  Nyamso'lo  himself  to  a  water-bird,  for  as  his 
body  rocks  to  and  fro  in  the  throes  of  the  obsessing  Zin/Ai'ki  he  dips  up  and  down, 
even  as  the  water-bird  dips  into  the  sea.  The  other  interpretation  compares  the 
ZiniAi'ki  which  flies  when  its  work  is  done,  to  the  water-bird  which  wings  away 
with  the  rising  tide. 

The  first  two  verses  are  repeated  over  and  over  again,  accompanying  the 
violent  trembling,  the  stiffening  and  shuddering  of  the  Nyamso'lo,  who  groans, 
catches  his  breath,  sighs  or  gasps  with  eyes  rolled  back  in  his  head,  while  the 
controlling  ZiniAi'ki  thus  tears  his  body  in  its  efforts  to  free  itself.  This  may 
last  for  some  time,  the  steady,  monotonous  clapping  and  singing  of  the  people 
being  broken  in  upon  now  and  then  by  the  hoarse  ejaculations  of  the  Z\nth'\.'\d 
still  struggling  in  the  Nyamso'lo's  body:  "I  want  to  go!  I  want  to  go!" — -"I  am 
going!  I  am  going!" — "Farewell — farewell!"  When  the  people  see  that  the 
Spirit  is  at  last  nearly  free,  they  stop  clapping  and  chant  the  last  verse,  "Now 
thou  ffiest — fliest!"  which  they  sing  till  the  sudden  cry  of  "We'nsia!  IFe'nsia!" 
from  the  Nyamso'lo  at  last  expels  the  ZiniAi'ki.  There  are  many  of  these  songs 
of  farewell  to  the  departing  Spirit. 

The  English  translation  of  this  song,  which  is  in  three  distinct  sections, 
corresponds  exactly  to  the  original  African  rhythms. 

(Metrical  and  literal  translation) 

Nyam'nje'nje  we'nda    _  On  homeward  pinion 

Kumba'  kwa'ke.  The  bird  flies  forth, 

We'-ye-zvo-ye!  We'-ye-zvo-ye! 

Nyam'nje'nje  we'nda  On  homeward  pinion 

Kumba'  kwa'ke.  The  bird  flies  forth, 

We'-ye-wo-yel  We'-ye-tvo-ye! 

Shilima'jiwe  ma'ji,  Water-bird  of  the  ocean, 

Shilima'jiwe  ma'ji.  Water-bird  of  the  ocean, 

Shi/i  mb'lu'ka,  mb'lu'ka.  Now  thou  fliest,  fliest, 

Shi/i  mb'lu'ka,  mb'lu'ka!  Now  thou  fliest,  fliest! 

JVe'nsia! 


26  •        SONGS  AND  TALES 


MANr^FKI 

Spirit-Song 

III 

VaraaXo'va.  nje'che 
He  who  beats  the  Little  Ones 

This  is  a  song  sung  by  the  "iVa'nga,"  a  diviner  of  a  different  order  from  the 
Nyamso'lo,  and  whose  skill  in  medicine  and  charms  usually  surpasses  that  of 
the  latter,  even  though  the  A'^a'nga  has  no  Familiar  Spirit,  as  has  the  Nyamso'lo, 
and  so  does  not  work  in  the  same  way.^  It  is  the  A'^a'nga,  or  Do'ta,  as  he  is 
sometimes  called,  who  is  usually  summoned  to  "smell  out"  witchcraft  when 
settling  disputes  with  regard  to  the  detection  of  witches  still  alive  or  at  large. 

Suppose  a  man  dies;  his  family  and  friends  at  once  try  to  find  out  who  has 
bewitched  him.-  Their  suspicions  fall  perhaps  on  some  individual,  and  they 
accuse  him  of  witchcraft.  This  is  a  very  terrible  charge,  and  one  that  is  much 
dreaded,  for  in  old  times  among  the  /^andau'  people,  a  witch  used  to  be  severely 
dealt  with,  while  among  some  tribes  he  was  put  to  death. 

The  suspected  man  appeals  to  the  Chief,  protesting  his  innocence.  The 
Chief  then  summons  before  him  the  accuser  and  the  accused  and  hears  both  sides. 
The  function  of  the  Chief  is  to  try  to  find  if  the  charge  is  based  on  fact.  If  the 
accuser  retract  his  charge,  which  may  have  been  made  in  anger,  the  Chief  may 
end  the  dispute  amicably  and  send  both  people  home;  or  he  may  fine  the  accuser 
for  having  defamed  the  good  name  of  the  accused.  But  if  the  accuser  persist  in 
his  charge,  the  matter  is  then  beyond  the  wisdom  of  natural  human  agency; 
the  Chief  cannot  settle  the  affair,  and  the  accused  has  the  right  to  petition  the 
Chief  to  send  for  a  diviner. 

The  Chief  gives  his  order  that  a  A'^a'nga  be  summoned  from  afar;  a  distant 
diviner  must  be  chosen,  one  who  lives  perhaps  three  or  five  days'  journey  from 
the  village  of  the  dead  man  and  will  thus  know  nothing  of  the  case  in  question. 
On  arriving  at  the  village,  the  A'^a'nga  and  his  attendants  are  prohibited  from 
seeking  or  gaining  information  concerning  the  case,  and  are  supposed  to  start 
at  their  work  of  divining  as  soon  as  possible. 

The  people  gather  at  the  place  of  trial,  an  open  space  under  a  wide- 
spreading  tree  in  the  kraal  of  the  Chief,  where  cases  of  all  kinds  in  the  village 
are  usually  tried.  The  accuser  and  the  accused  come  forward  and  the  people 
form  a  circle  around  them.  It  is  now  the  task  of  the  "A'^a'nga"  to  discover 
through  his  power  of  divination  what  he  has  been  sent  for,  the  nature  of  the 
dispute,  the  death  of  the  man,  and  the  quarrel  or  the  suspicions  that  gave  rise 
to  the  accusation  of  witchcraft.  He  makes  short  statements,  to  each  of  which 
the  people  answer  "Yes,"  no  matter  if  the  iVa'nga  be  right  or  wrong.  The 
people  are  of  course  anxious  that  the  iVa'nga  shall  find  the  truth,  and  it  is  not 
difficult  for  him  to  tell  by  the  tones  of  their  voices  whether  he  is  on  the  right 
trail.     For  instance,  he  will  say:    "There  has  been  trouble  in  this  village,"  and 

'See  "Beliefs  and  Customs  of  the  Ndau  Tribe,"  page  15. 
^See  page  16. 


FROM   THE  DARK  CONTINENT 27 

the  people  will  respond  in  chorus,  "Yes!"  "Some  one  is  sick" — the  people  will 
still  say,  "Yes!"  but  the  A'^a'nga  will  see  at  once  that  he  is  wrong.  "Worse  than 
sick — some  one  has  died,"  he  will  continue.  "Yes!  yes!"  the  people  will  answer. 
So,  bit  by  bit,  he  unravels  the  case  until  he  hits  upon  the  truth.' 

Now  the  iVa'nga  takes  his  "maze'mbe"^  (divining  bones),  and  sometimes 
gives  them  first  into  the  hands  of  the  accused.  This  man  shakes  the  bones,  de- 
claring all  his  wrong-doings,  steadily  maintaining,  however,  that  whatever  may 
have  been  his  faults  in  other  things,  he  is  not  guilty  of  the  crime  with  which  he 
now  is  charged.  '  The  A'^a'nga  then  throws  the  bones,  and  if  they  fall  in  such  a 
way  as  to  mean  "Innocent,"  the  man  is  acquitted;  if  they  proclaim  "guilty,"  the 
accused  again  searches  his  heart,  names  whatever  wrong-doing  may  have  yet 
been  unconfessed,  but  still  affirms  his  innocence  of  the  present  accusation.  If, 
after  repeated  confessions,  the  bones  persist  in  their  condemnation  when  they 
have  been  thrown  three  times,  the  "TVa'nga"  touches  the  victim  with  his  divin- 
ing wand  and  pronounces:  "Guilty!"  Then  follows  punishment.  In  old  times 
this  used  to  be  very  terrible,  but  owing  to  the  strong  opposition  of  white  people, 
the  death-penalty  has  been  abolished  and  other  severe  forms  of  retribution  are 
no  longer  in  use.     But  the  trials  for  witchcraft  are  still  secretly  held. 

During  the  divining  ceremony,  before  the  throwing  of  the  bones,  the  follow- 
ing song  of  divination  is  sung  by  the  iVa'nga.  The  meaning  of  the  song  would 
seem  to  be  that  he  who  practises  witchcraft  to  destroy  a  helpless  and  unknowing 
person  is  like  a  strong  man  who  beats  a  child.  The  final  phrase,  "He  is  here!" 
proclaims  the  A''a'nga's  power  to  "smell  out"  the  guilty.  This  song  is  repeated 
again  and  again,  and  the  iVa'nga  dances  also.  The  people  are  worked  up  to  a 
high  pitch  of  excitement,  and  the  accused  suffers  tortures  of  suspense. 

The  fear  of  being  bewitched,  or  of  being  accused  of  witchcraft— this  is  the 
great  shadow  over  the  life  of  the  African. 

{Metrical  and  literal  translation) 

Famalo'wa  nje'che.  Who  little  ones  doth  beat, 

VdL  pa'  no!  He  is  here! 

[The  tune  of  this  song  is  very  like  some  of  those  heard  on  high-pitched  nasal 
reed-pipes  in  the  North  of  Africa.  The  author  has  even  heard  Turkish  tunes  of 
something  the  same  character.     There  is  perhaps  Arabic  influence  here.] 

MANrm'Ki 

Spirit-Song 

IV 

Nyamuzi'ra 
He  who  knows 

This  song,  like  the  preceding  one,  is  sung  by  the  A'a'nga  while  divining. 
It  relates  to  the  common  human  failing  of  seeing  the  faults  of  others  quicker  than 

'Sima'ngo  said  that  when  the  A^a'nga  was  wrong  in  his  statement,  the  people  answered  in  a  listless, 
apathetic  way.  When  he  guessed  right,  they  answered  "Yes!  yes!"  with  enthusiasm  and  alacrity.  Sima'ngo 
did  not  think  that  this  form  of  divination  required  a  very  high  order  of  supernatural  power! 

^See  page  17. 


28  SOA'GS  AND   TALES 


one's  own,  for  it  is  the  nature  of  man  to  see  the  evil  in  another  first.  So,  in  the 
matter  of  witchcraft,  men  are  quick  to  suspect  each  other  even  when  they  may  be 
secretly  practising  witchcraft  themselves.  It  is  thought  that  this  song  was  not 
originally  composed  for  use  in  the  trial  for  witchcraft,  but  it  has  been  adapted  to 
that  purpose  because  of  its  significant  and  appropriate  words.  Its  sarcasm 
should  fill  with  guilty  terror  the  man  who  falsely  accuses,  or  who  charges  another 
with  a  crime  which  he  may  be  practising  himself. 

{Metrical  translation) 

Nyamuzi'j'a  wo'ye,  He  who  knowledge  boasteth, 

E'ya,  e'ya-ye,  ^  Truly,  yea,  truly, 

Vsi  no  zi'ca  zo  j'a'mwe,  Yes,  he  knoweth  of  others! 

E'ya,  e'ya-ye.  Truly,  yea,  truly. 

{Literal  translation) 


He  who  knows, 

Yes,  yes,  truly. 

He  knows  of  others, 

Yes,  yes,  truly. 


LUM'BO   LGO    LU'DO 

LOVE-SONG 

When  Tsha'ka,'  the  great  Zulu  King  and  conqueror,  overran  South  Africa 
early  in  the  nineteenth  century,  he  sent  some  of  his  generals  to  conquer  other 
tribes.  News  reached  Tsha'ka  that  these  generals  were  suspected  of  having  kept 
for  themselves  cattle  which  they  had  taken  from  the  enemy,  instead  of  having 
tendered  it  to  the  King.  So  Tsha'ka  sent  another  army  after  these  generals,  to 
kill  them.  News  reached  the  generals  in  advance  and  they  fled,  taking  with 
them  all  their  soldiers,  till  they  came  to  that  part  of  the  country  now  known  as 
Portuguese  East  Africa.  There  were  among  them  two  men  of  distinction, 
Aiuzi'ya-  ("Muzi'la,"  in  the  Zulu  language)  and  So'shanga'ne.  So'shanga'ne 
remained  in  Portuguese  East  Africa,  but  Muzi'ya  went  to  what  is  now  Rhodesia 
and  there  established  a  kingdom;  it  was  his  son,  Lobe'ngula,  who  fought  with 
the  British.  So'shanga'ne  came  to  the  /^andau'  and  other  people  of  East  Africa, 
with  all  his  troops,  as  a  friend.  The  landau'  are  not  a  warlike  people,  as  are  the 
Zulu,  so  that  the  newcomers  remained  peaceably  among  them.  So'shanga'ne 
won  their  confidence  and  made  himself  King,  allowing  the  landau'  to  keep  their 
own  kings  also,  but  inducing  them  to  accept  him  as  King  of  Kings — the  highest 
King  over  all.  He  extended  his  kingdom  to  the  mouth  of  the  Zambezi  river. 
His  subjects  called  him  "Muzi'ya"  and  "Yama'nde"  as  well  as  "So'shanga'ne," 
and  all  the  people  over  whom  he  ruled  came  to  be  known  as  "Shanga'ne." 

'Or  Chaka.     See  page  63. 

'Also,  according  to  white  writers,  "Mosilika'tze"  and  "Umsilika'tze." 


FROM   THE  DJRK  COXTIXENT 


In  this  song,  an  unhappy  maiden  laments  that  she  has  "not  her  own,"  and 
calls  upon  Muzi'ya,  the  great  King  over  all  Kings,  even  as  white  people  would 
bewail  their  misery  to  God.  The  song  might  be  interpreted  that  the  lovers  who 
sought  her  did  not  include  one  that  she  loved;  or  it  might  be  that  no  one  has 
yet  wooed  her;    or,  again,  she  might  be  unhappily  betrothed. 

{Metrical  translation  to  fit  the  rhythm 

,.,  ,  ^  r     -/  o{  the  African  verse  and  the   music) 

A  ndi  na  wa  ngu,  Aluzi  ya, 

A  ndi'na  wa'ngu,  Muzi'ya,  Give  me  my  own,  O  Muzi'ya, 

A  ndi'na  wa.'ngu,  Muzi'ya,  Give  me  my  own,  O  Muzi'ya, 

Aha!  Give  me  mv  own,  O  Muzi'ya, 

Jha! 

{Literal  translation) 

I  have  not  my  own,  Muzi'ya, 
I  have  not  my  own,  Aluzi'ya, 
I  have  not  mv  own,  Muzi'va, 

'Aha! 


MAFU'/^E 

DANCE  OF  GIRLS 

Eyo'we,  Kwa'mai-we! 
Alas,  my  mother's  home! 

The  strongest  aflFection  an  African  can  know  is  the  love  of  a  child  for  its 
mother.'  This  love  endures  all  through  life  with  the  same  intensity,  the  people 
saying,  "If  a  man's  wife  die,  he  may  get  another  wife.  But  he  cannot  get  a 
mother.  If  a  woman's  husband  die,  she  may  find  another  man.  But  she  can 
never  find  another  mother. "- 

When  a  Mundau'^  marries,  he  may  not  take  a  bride  from  any  family  de- 
scended from  the  same  ancestor  as  his  own,  no  matter  how  remote  and  faint  the 
relationship.  Often  he  seeks  his  bride  in  another  village.*  Then  he  takes  her 
back  with  him  to  his  kraal.  This  song  tells  of  a  bride  or  young  wife  who, 
overcome  with  homesickness,  thinks  with  longing  of  her  mother  and  of  her 
childhood's  home,  even  though  she  loves  her  husband  and  her  new  life. 

The  song  is  sung  for  a  dance  of  girls,  both  unmarried  and  married  (for  women 
marry  very  young  in  Africa).  No  drums  are  used,  the  song  being  accompanied 
by  the  clapping  of  hands.  Two  girls  dance  at  a  time,  opposite  each  other,  the 
dance-steps  beginning  with  two  stamps  [see  accented  notes  in  the  music,  opening 
bars],  while  the  other  girls  stand  around  the  dancers  in  a  circle,  clapping  and 
singing,  until  their  turn  comes  to  dance. 

'See  "Song  of  the  Rain  Ceremony,"  page  21. 
-See  "The  Mother  in  Africa,"  pages  xxiii,  66. 
'Singular  form  of  "/''andau'." 
•See  Zulu  Dance-Song,  page  69. 


SONGS  AND  TALES 


Eyo'we,  we  yo'we  iye, 
Eyo'we,  we  yo'we  iye, 
Eyo'we,  we  yo'we  iye, 
Kwa'mai-we,  we  yo'we  iye, 
Eyo'we,  we  yo'zve  iye, 
Eyo'we,  we  yo'we  iye, 
Eyo'we,  we  yo'we  iye! 

Kwa'mai  nda'  lega',  yo'we  iye, 
Eyo'we,  zee  yo'zve  iye, 

Ndo'  da  kwu'misha,  yo'zve  iye, 
Eyo'we,  we  yo'we  iye! 

Eyo'we,  we  yo'we  iye, 
Kwa'mai-we,  zve  yo'we  iye, 
Kwa'mai  nda'  lega',  eya,  eya. 

Ewe  yo'zve, 
Ndo'da  kwu'misha,  eya,  eya. 

Ewe  yo'we! 


{Metrical  and  literal  translation) 

Alas,  O  zve  yo'zve  iye, 
Alas,  O  zve  yo'we  iye, 
Alas,  O  we  yo'we  iye. 
Mother's  home,  we  yo'zve  iye, 
Alas,  O  we  yo'zve  iye, 
Alas,  O  zve  yo'we  iye, 
Alas,  O  we  yo'we  iye! 

I  left  my  mother's  home,  yo'we  iye, 
O  alas,  zve  yo'we  iye, 

I  love  my  husband's  home,  yo'we  iye, 
O  alas,  zve  yo'we  iye! 

Alas,  O  we  yo'we  iye. 

Mother's  home,  zve  yo'zve  iye, 

I  left  my  mother's  home,  yes,  yes, 

O  alas, 
I  love  my  husband's  home,  yes,  yes, 

O  alas! 


CHILDREN'S   SONGS 


Mu-to-to-li'Ie 
Drip-drop  the  Rain 

This  song  is  sung  by  children  when  playing  in  the  rain.  They  call  the  rain- 
drops to  pour  down  till  all  the  pools  are  full.  The  African  boys  and  girls  love 
to  hunt  bullfrogs,  especially  the  big  ones  with  red  breasts,  and  they  spear  them 
with  little  sharp-pointed  sticks.  "To-to"  is  supposed  to  be  the  sound  of  rain, 
falling  in  drops. 

{Metrical  a^id  literal  translation) 


To-to  lile', 

yivviW  ngaine', 
To-to  lile', 

Maka'ndwa  azale', 

To-to  lile', 

Tizo'  bumwi'la  mwo, 
To-to  lile,' 

Ti  ba'ye  macheche'. 


"To-to,"  pour  down. 

Rain,  let  it  rain, 
"To-to,"  pour  down, 

•    Let  all  the  pools  be  full, 

"To-to,"  pour  down. 

And  we  will  swim  therein; 
"To-to,"  pour  down, 

We  spear  the  red  bullfrog. 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT 


31 


II 

Cha-Ko'mba-Ko'mba 
Hopping  Song 

In  the  evening  the  children  play  this  singing-game,  while  hopping  on  one 
leg  in  time  to  the  music  to  a  given  goal  in  a  hopping  race.  They  must  always 
hop  on  one  leg,  for  to  put  down  the  other  foot  would  be  to  lose  the  race. 

Cha'komba',  komba',  Hoppy-hoppy-hop, 


Cha'  mn^/ialila!' 


Mni/ialila's  hop! 


Ill 

Mu»i7i,  Zu'ma-Zu'ma 
Drying  Song 

After  the  children  have  been  swimming,  they  jump  up  and  down  in  the  sun 
to  shake  the  water  off  and  dry  themselves.  They  sing  this  little  half-spoken 
song  while  jumping  in  time  to  each  beat  of  the  music.  They  think  that  the  song 
and  the  leaping  are  a  kind  of  charm  which  helps  to  make  them  dry.  They  do 
not  know  that  it  is  the  jumping  that  makes  their  hearts  beat  quickly  and  thus 
sets  their  little  bodies  in  a  glow. 


Mui'ili',  zuma',  zuma'l 
Mut'ili',  zuma',  zuma'! 
Kasila',  kasila'. 

Muz'iii',  zuma',  zuma'! 

O'mai,  O'mai, 

Munli',  zuma',  zuma'! 


(^Metrical  translation  to  fit  the 
original  African  rhythms) 

Body,  body,  dry  off  quick! 
Body,  body,  dry  off  quick! 

Quickly  now,  quickly  now. 

Body,  body,  dry  off  quick! 

You're  dry,  you're  dry, 
Body,  body,  dry  off  quick! 


{Literal  translation) 

,  Body,  dry  off,  dry  off, 

Body,  dry  off,  dry  off. 
Quick,  quick, 

Body,  dry  off,  dry  off, 

You're  dry,  you're  dry, 
Body,  dry  off,  dry  off! 

'The  "th"  is  pronounced  like  "t"  followed  by  a  slightly  aspirate  "h."      For  meaning  of  "mn/Aalila," 
see  Appendix,  page  159. 


32  SONGS  AND  TALES 


LABORING-SONGS 
I 

Kwae'ja  no  Makashot' 
Day  Dawns  with  Freight  to  Haul 
(Song  of  the  Dock-Hands  at  the  shipping-port  of  Beira) 
Beira  is  a  large  seaport  and  much  freight  destined  for  the  interior  and  for 
Rhodesia  is  there  unloaded.'     The  work  begins  at  daylight,  and  the  boxes  are 
carried  off  the  ship  and  away  by  the  natives.     Everything  is  done  by  hand,  and 
by  black  labor.     An  overseer  reads  the  label  on  each  box  and  directs  the  natives, 
so  that  every  piece  of  freight  must  be  turned  in  order  that  the  label  may  be  seen. 
This  song,  sung  by  the  men  while  at  work,  sums  up  the  monotonous,  day- 
long task  in  the  .simple  phrases:    "Day  dawns  with  freight  to  haul";    and  "look 
for  the  label."     The  song  has  also  been  adopted  as  a  popular  dance-song  (a  trans- 
mogrification similar  to  that  of  many  of  the  work-songs  of  the  American  Negroes). 
It  is  usually  sung  at  the  dances  which  take  place  during  the  festive  drinking  of 
"do'lo,"  the  native  beer. 

Compare  the  tune  of  this  chant  with  the  lovely  and  plaintive  little  song  in 
the  legend- of  "The  Daughter  and  the  Slave"  (page  125);  the  melodies  are  strik- 
ingly alike,  though  this  one  shows  European  influence  in  the  swing  of  its  major 
phrase  and  in  the  three  repeated  notes  which  end  the  cadence. 

That  a  song  sung  by  natives  working  in  Beira  might  well  be  tinged  with 
European  influence  will  be  seen  from  the  following  quotation  from  R.  C.  F. 
IMaughan's  "Portuguese  East  Africa.'''' 

"In  the  port  of  Beira  probably  every  race  and  tribe  of  East,  Central  and 
South  African  natives  may  be  daily  encountered.  At  Beira,  and  in  the  other 
principal  settlements,  moreover,  one  sees  the  enormous  hold  which  European 
manners  and  customs  are  obtaining  amid  a  people  who,  a  few  years  ago,  were 
practically  ignorant  of  them,  and  how  the  native,  whose  needs  and  horizon  were, 
until  recently,  bounded  by  his  maize-patch  and  tobacco-garden,  has  had  needs 
created  for  him  which  only  hard  work  or  roguery  can  enable  him  to  compass." 

{Metrical   translation    to   fit    the 
original  African  rhythms) 
Kwae'ja  no  makashot'.  Day  dawns  with  freight  to  haul, 

Eya,  eya,  Ey^-,  eya, 

Kwae'ja  no  makashot',  Day  dawns  with  freight  to  haul, 

Jika  mala'ka!  Look  for  the  label! 

{Literal  translation) 
Dawn, — with  freight, 

Yes.,  yes! 
Dawn, — with  freight. 
Look  for  the  label! 

'See  "Kamba  Simango,"  pages  2,  3. 

^"Portuguese  East  Africa,"  hy  R.  C.  F.  Maughan;  E.  P.  Dutton  &  Co.,  New  York,  1906;  pp.  258-259. 


FROM   THE  DARK  COX  TIN  EN  T 


II 

Ma'le  Kambe'n' 
Money  in  Kamben' 

"Kambe'ni"  is  the  native  name  for  a  spot  on  the  Pungwe  River  in  Portuguese 
East  Africa,  known  on  the  map  as  Fonte  \  ilia.  At  one  time  the  English,  who 
had  obtained  railroad  concessions  from  the  Portuguese,  planned  to  make  a  large 
port  at  this  place,  and  also  to  build  a  railroad  station  there  to  facilitate  traffic 
into  Rhodesia.  But  the  enterprise  had  to  be  abandoned  because  the  spot  was 
so  swampy  and  unhealthy  that  both  natives  and  whites  died  of  fever.  During 
the  opening  of  the  project  there  was,  however,  a  great  demand  for  native  labor, 
which  was  well  paid,  and  this  news  spread  quickly  among  the  blacks. 

The  song  dramatically  portrays  the  bringing  of  the  tidings,  "A'loney  in 
Kambe'ni"  to  a  group  of  men.  "Who  told  you  that.'"  the  people  ask  in  chorus 
of  the  news-bearer.  "Money  in  Kamben'!  Money,  money!"  repeats  the  man, 
his  words  being  taken  up  by  others.  Then  the  people  shout  "Money  in  Kambe'ni 
— then  w-ork  with  a  will  to  earn  and  go  home!"  for  the  natives  are  usually  glad 
of  a  job  where  they  may  earn  a  good  bit  at  once  so  that  they  may  not  have  to 
stay  away  too  long  from  their  kraals  and  from  their  wives  and  children.  The 
Africans  are  only  just  beginning  to  learn  how  to  labor  in  the  white  man's  way.  It  is 
therefore  perhaps  only  natural  that  they  should  be  satisfied  to  make  enough  to  fill 
their  needs  for  the  immediate  future,  and  then  go  back  to  their  homes.  But  this 
intermittent  kind  of  labor,  as  exemplified  in  the  words  of  this  song,  irritates  the 
white  man,  and  is  perhaps  a  contributing  cause  of  that  tyranny  by  which  the 
natives  are  not  infrequently  forced  to  work  without  pay.  Even  private  indi- 
viduals will  sometimes  hold  back  payment  from  a  native  servant  whom  they 
want  to  keep,  fearful  that  when  the  "boy"  has  the  money  in  his  hand,  he  will  want 
to  return  to  his  kraal  immediately.  Yet  one  cannot  rationally  expect  a  primitive 
folk  to  acquire  European  habits  of  sustained  industry  all  at  once,  especially  if 
their  needs  are  simple  and  easily  filled;  also,  home  ties  are  not  less  strong  in  the 
African  than  in  those  peoples  who  are  able  to  combine  labor  with  home-life. 
This  the  polygamous  native,  who  has  an  hereditary  social  system  of  his  own, 
cannot  now  do,  in  present  labor-conditions  in  Africa.  The  women  and  children 
stay  in  the  native  village  whose  life  goes  on  uninterruptedly,  while  the  sons  of 
the  kraal  go  off  to  work  for  days,  or  weeks,  or  months,  as  hired  laborers.  For, 
as  a  rule,  the  South  and  East  Africans  do  not  allow  their  women  to  go  into  do- 
mestic service  among  the  whites,  nor  to  v/ork  in  the  towns — for  reasons  all  too 
well-founded.  They  try  to  keep  their  women,  the  mothers  of  their  race,  safe 
from  corruption;  so  all  labor  of  every  kind,  in  relation  to  Europeans,  is  done  by 
men,  or  "boys,"  as  they  are  called,  be  they  ten  years  of  age  or  fifty.  Therefore, 
under  existing  conditions,  one  should  not,  perhaps,  be  impatient  with  the  natural 
and  not  altogether  unpraiseworthy  desire  of  the  native  to  "earn  and  go  home." 

The  word  "Ma'le"  used  in  this  song  is  a  corruption  of  the  English  word 
"Money."  In  old  times  the  wealth  of  the  Ba'ntu  tribes  lay  in  cattle,  so  that  there 
was  no  word  in  the  Chindau'  language  to  express  coin  as  a  means  of  exchange. 


34 


SONGS  AND  TALES 


In  form,  this  song  is  an  antiphonal  ciiorus  sung  by  three  groups;  though  the 
man,  the  leader  of  a  gang  of  workmen,  usually  starts  the  song  alone  with  the  cry, 
"Money  in  Kamben'!"  This  work-song  is  used  to  accompany  any  kind  of  labor, 
whether  on  the  railroads  or  in  the  towns.  It  is  an  interesting  example  of  how, 
in  folk-music,  a  live  experience  can  be  spontaneously  embodied  in  song.  The 
man  who  came  among  his  fellows  calling  out  "Money  in  Kamben'  "  started  a  song 
on  its  pathway  into  being.  Several  men,  roused  by  the  experience  and  all  feeling 
the  same  song-impulse,  responded.  Primitive  artistic  creation  occurred  on  the 
spot,  a  song  was  born,  sung,  unified  into  definite  form,  carried  from  place  to  place, 
and  absorbed  into  that  folk-life  which  it  expressed   and  of  which  it  is  a  part. 

{Metrical  translation  to  fit  the  original 
African  rhythms) 


Ma'leKambe'n'! 

Wa  izwa'  ndivan'? 

Ma'leKambe'n'! 

Ti  no'da  kusha'nda 
Ti  e'nde  kan'yi. 

Ma'le, — ma'le  Kambe'n'! 
Wa  izwa'  ndiyan'  ? 

Ma'leKambe'n'! 

Ti  no'da  kusha'nda 
Ti  e'nde  kan'yi. 

Ma'le ! 

Wa  izwa'  ndiyan'.^ 

Ma'le, — ma'le  Kambe'n'! 
Ti  no'da  kusha'nda 
Ti  e'nde  kan'yi. 

Ima'lenyi.^ 

Wa  izwa'  ndiyan' .' 

Ma'leKambe'n'! 

Ti  no'da  kusha'nda 
Ti  e'nde  kan'yi. 


Money  in  Kamben'! 

Who  told  you  that? 

Money  in  Kamben'! 

Then  work  with  a  will 
To  earn  and  go  home. 

Money, — money  in  Kamben'! 
Who  told  you  that.? 

Money  in  Kamben'! 

Then  work  with  a  will 
To  earn  and  go  home. 

Money 


Who  told  you  that.? 
Money, — money  in  Kamben'! 
Then  work  with  a  will 
To  earn  and  go  home. 

How  much  money.? 

Who  told  you  that.? 

Money  in  Kamben'! 

Then  work  with  a  will 
To  earn  and  go  home. 

{Literal  translation) 


Money  in  Kamben'! 

By  whom  are  you  told.? 

Money  in  Kamben'! 

We  want  to  work. 
That  we  may  go  home. 

Money, — money  in  Kamben'! 
By  whom  are  you  told .? 

Money  in  Kamben'! 

We  want  to  work. 
That  we  may  go  home. 


FROM  THE  DJRK  CONTINENT 


.5  3 


Money ! 

By  whom  are  you  told? 
Money, — money  in  Kamben'! 

We  want  to  work, 

That  we  may  go  home. 

How  much  money? 

By  whom  are  you  told? 
Money  in  Kamben'! 

We  want  to  work, 

That  we  may  go  home. 

PWI'TA 

DANCE-SONG 
I 

Ku  muse'ngele 
Off  with  the  Hammock 

The  Pwi'ta  is  a  social  dance  of  men  and  women,  and  so  called  after  the  name 
of  a  peculiar  drum  used  in  the  music  of  this  dance.  The  drum  consists  of  a  long 
hollow  log,  with  an  antelope-skin  or  cow-skin  stretched  across  one  end.  The 
other  end  is  open  to  receive  the  right'  hand  of  the  player,  which  is  thrust  up  into 
the  log.  The  skin  of  the  drum  is  pierced  by  two  little  holes  into  which  are  severally 
inserted  the  two  ends  of  a  piece  of  string  or  sinew  which  are  tied  to  a  reed  inside 
the  log.  The  player  wets  his  fingers  in  a  bowl  of  water  near  him  and  plays  the 
"pwi'ta"  by  pulling  on  the  reed,  slipping  his  moist  fingers  up  and  down.  His 
fingers  stick  to  the  reed  just  enough  to  cause  the  vibrations  which  he  makes  at 
will,  according  to  the  pitch  or  sound  desired.  The  skin  of  the  drum  resounds, 
and  the  sides  reverberate;  to  increase  this  reverberation  the  body  of  an  ultra- 
modern drum  may  be  made  of  a  large  tin  oil-can  instead  of  a  log,  which  makes — 
for  the  native — a  great  deal  of  pleasurable  noise. 

Two  tones  may  be  made  on  the  Pwi'ta,  about  a  fourth  apart.  The  high 
tone  is  produced  by  pressing  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand  on  the  skin  of  the  drum, 
thus  shortening  the  vibrations;  the  low  tone  is  obtained  when  the  left  hand  is 
lifted  so  that  the  whole  surface  of   the  drumskin  is  free  to  resound. 

The  dancers  are  grouped  in  an  ellipse  open  at  the  ends,  the  men  on  one  side, 
the  women  opposite.  The  drummer  sits  in  the  open  space  at  one  end,  facing 
the  center  of  the  ellipse.  The  people  sing  and  clap  their  hands.  Two  dancers 
from  one  side  come  forward  and  dance  in  the  center  of  the  ellipse.  When  they 
are  ready  to  stop  they  move  toward  two  dancers  standing  next  to  each  other  on 
the  opposite  side — any  two — and  these,  responding,  as  it  were,  to  the  invitation, 
come  forward  and  dance  also  while  the  first  two  retire  to  their  places.  The 
second  pair,  when  they  have  finished,  in  turn  advance  to  two  other  members  of 
the  opposite  line,  who  respond,  and  enter  the  ellipse.  So  it  goes.  The  dance 
may  last  several  hours. 


36  SONGS  AND  TALES 


There  are  many  dance-songs.  This  one  tells  of  a  group  of  natives  who  have 
been  summoned  to  carry  a  Portuguese  traveller  to  Lunde,  a  trading-post  on  the 
river  bearing  that  name.  There  were  formerly  no  wagon-roads  in  this  part  of 
Africa,  for  wagons  were  unknown  to  the  natives;  even  to-day,  though  some  roads 
have  been  built,  no  wagons  are  used  for  conveying  men  or  heavy  burdens  over 
long  distances;  the  natives  carry  everything  on  their  heads,  their  backs  or  their 
shoulders.  Therefore,  the  customary  way  for  Europeans  to  travel  is  to  be  borne 
by  the  blacks  in  a  sort  of  hammock  swung  from  a  horizontal  pole,  balanced 
on  the  shoulders  of  the  carriers.  This  hammock  is  called  by  the  Portuguese 
"machila,"  and  by  the    Fandau'  "muse'ngele." 

In  this  song  the  African  carrier,  who  has  received  notice  of  the  journey  to 
Lu'nde,  calls  to  his  companions  named  "Le'nda"  and  "Mandiba'ye,"  asking  if  they 
are  going  to  remain  behind,  or  if  they  too  are  coming  to  carry  the  hammock';  for 
they  will  be  paid,  with  the  chance  of  buying  in  Lu'nde  a  "Fo'ya."  This  is  a  piece 
of  Indian  cloth  worn  as  a  dress  in  India  and  also  so  worn  by  the  ^^andau',  who 
highly  prize  the  wares  of  the  East  Indian  and  Arab  traders,  of  whom  there  are 
many  in  East  Africa. 

In  his  book,  "The  Essential  Kaffir,"i  the  author,  Air.  Dudley  Kidd,  thus 
describes  the  "machila." 

"A  machila  is  a  hammock  suspended  from  a  large  bamboo  pole,  in  which  the 
traveller  lies  while  two  or  four  'boys'  [see  page  3]  carry  the  pole  on  their 
shoulders.  A  machila  team  generally  consists  of  a  dozen  boys,  four  of  whom 
carry  the  traveller,  while  the  other  eight  follow  at  a  jog-trot.  When  one  set  of 
boys  is  tired,  they  call  out  to  the  others,  and  four  fresh  boys  run  in  and  take  the 
places  of  the  tired  boys.  The  tired  boys  'rest'  by  running  along  behind,  waiting 
till  their  next  turn  to  carry  comes." 

{Metrical  translation  to  fit  the  original 
African  rhythms) 

Ewe',  ezve'ye!  Ewe' ,  ewe'ye! 

Ku  muse'ngele  wa  Lu'nde!  To  hammock  now  for  Lu'nde! 

We  salo'we,  Le'nda.^ — wo!  Will  you  tarry,  Le'nda? — wo! 

Ewe',  ewe'ye!  Ewe',  ewe'ye! 

Mandiba'ye,  we  ye,  Mandiba'ye,  you  there, 

Mandiba'ye  we  Le'nda.'. — wo!  Mandiba'ye,  you,  and  Le'nda  I — wo! 

Ewe' ,  ewe'ye!  Ewe' ,  ewe'ye! 

Ndi'ni  wo  kwenda'  kwa  Lu'nde,  I  am  going  oflF  to  Lu'nde, 

We  salo'we,  Le'nda.' — wo!  Will  you  tarry,  Le'nda.' — zvo! 

Ewe',  ewe'ye!  Ezve' ,  ewe'ye! 

Fo'ya  ya'nguyo  we,  A  Fo'ya  shall  be  mine,  too. 

We  salo'we,  Le'nda.' — wo!  Will  you  tarry,  Le'nda.' — wo! 

{Literal  translation) 
Ewe',  ewe'ye! 

To  hammock  for  Lu'nde! 

Are  you  staying  behind,  Le'nda .' — zvo! 

^"The  Essential  Kaffir,"  by  Dudley  Kidd.     A.  &  C.  Black,  London,  Publishers;  page  170. 


FROM   THE  DARK  CONTINENT 


Ewe' ,  ezve'ye! 

Mandiba'ye,  you  there, 
Mandiba'ye,  you,  Lc'nda? — zvo! 

Ezve',  ezve'yel 

I  am  going  to  Lu'nde, 

Are  you  staying  behind,  Lc'nda  ? — zi'ol 

Ewe',  ewe'ye! 

A  Fo'ya  mine,  too. 

Are  you  staying  behind,  Le'nda? — wo! 


NTHOKO'DO 

Dance-Song 

II 

Chamale'bt'U 
The  Long  Beard 

When  a  man  brews  native  beer,  which  is  a  very  mild  fermentation  of 
native  corn,  he  not  only  invites  his  friends  and  neighbors  to  share  his  hospital- 
ity, but  any  passers-by  may  join  the  group,  even  if  they  are  strangers  or  men  from 
another  tribe.  Both  old  and  young,  men  and  women,  attend  these  gatherings, 
and  the  beer  is  served  in  pottery  bowls,  which  are  passed  from  hand  to  hand. 

This  song  was  extemporaneously  composed  during  such  a  beer-drinking 
festival.  The  old  men  are  quaffing  together.  Absorbed  in  their  talk  and  in 
their  reminiscences  of  former  wars,  they  have  neglected  to  pass  the  cup  to  the 
young  people,  overlooking  them  utterly.  "The  young  people  have  had  enough," 
they  mutter  to  each  other  in  excuse,  "if  we  give  them  more,  they  will  only  fall 
to  quarreling." 

Aleanwhile  these  young  people  have  grown  tired  of  waiting.  "What  are 
we  going  to  do  about  it.''"  they  say,  for  they  dare  not  complain.  Then  they 
begin  to  make  fun  of  the  old  men  among  themselves.  "See  that  one.''"  they- 
whisper.  "His  beard  is  long  enough  to  make  a  bird-snare!"  The  native  bird- 
snares  are  made  of  loops  of  horsehair.  The  old  man's  straggling  beard  provokes 
the  laughing  comment  of  the  young  people,  and  one  of  them  starts  a  mocking 
song  in  which  the  meaning  is  hidden  from  the  elders  and  understood  only  by 
the  younger  group.  (The  African  cries  "Alother!"  or,  less  often,  "Father!"  as 
an  ejaculation,  even  as  the  Frenchman  exclaims  "Mon  Dieu!")  "Mother!  A 
bird-snare!"  the  young  people  sing.  "Mother!  See  that  Long-Beard!  Farewell, 
I  am  going  now — for  what  can  we  do.^" 

Later  the  song  was  turned  into  a  dance-song. 


38 


SONGS  AND  TALES 


Maman'  'amina',' 

Chingo'da, 
Maman'  'amina', 

E-tve-ye,  we-yo-we, 

Chingo'da, 
Dadan'  'amina', 
Maman'  'amina', 

Chingo'da, 
Maman'  'amina' 

E-ive-ye,  zc'e-yo-we, 

Chingo'da, 
Nde'ta  zo'kudini,^ 

E-zve-ye,  we-yo-zve, 

Chingo'da, 
Nde'ta  so'kudini. 
Sa'lanyi,  Sa'lanyi, 

Chingo'da, 
Sa'lanyi,  mu'chimwa;^ 
Sa'lanyi,  Sa'lanyi, 

Chingo'da, 
Ka  kwenda'''  ku'no, 

Chamale'bfu'!° 
Ho — 6,  chingo'da. 
Ho — o,  chamale'bt'u'! 
Ho — 6,  chingo'da! 
This  translation  is  so  very  nearly 
in   the   line,   "a   long  beard,"  and   the 
"farewell"),   that  it  is   unnecessary  to 


{Metrical  translation  to  fit  the  original 

African  rhythms) 
Mother,  mother  mine, 

A  bird-snare. 
Mother,  mother  mine, 

E-we-ye,  zve-yo-tve, 

A  bird-snare, 
Father,  father  mine. 
Mother,  mother  mine, 

A  bird-snare, 
Mother,  mother  mine, 

E-zve-ye,  zve-yo-zve, 

A  bird-snare. 
What,  oh  what  shall  we  do? 

E-zve-ye,  zve-yo-zve, 

A  bird-snare. 
What,  oh  what  shall  we  do? 
Farewell,  farewell  now, 

O  bird-snare. 
Farewell  (drink*),  farewell. 
Farewell,  farewell  now, 

O  bird-snare. 
Now  I'm  going  away. 

Long  beard,  long  beard! 
Ho — 6,  a  bird-snare. 
Ho — 6,  a  long,  long  beard! 
Ho — 6,  a  bird-snare! 
literal   (all  but  the  repetition  of  "long" 
addition   of  the  word  "now"  in  the  line 
offer  any  other  English  version. 


NTi/OKO'DO 

Dance-Song 

HI 

In  this  song  the  father  of  a  polygamous  household  has  taken  to  wife  a  scold- 
ing woman,  of  whom  the  song  is  sung.  Needless  to  say,  the  song  does  not  refer 
to  the  mother  of  the  singer,  but  to  the  new  wife. 

'In  ordinary  speech  the  word  is  accented  thus:   "zvami'na." 

'Accented  thus,  in  speaking:    "zoku'Ji-ni." 

'Pronounced  in  speaking  "muchi'mwa." 

^Pronounced  in  speaking  "ka  kwe'nda." 

'Pronounced  in  speaking  "chamale'bvu." 

^My  African  informant  assures  me  that  the  word  "drink"  implies  "You  stay  here  drinking,"  and  that 
the  farewell  is  addressed  to  the  company,  not  to  the  drink,  the  meaning  being  that  the  young  people  are 
going  because  there  is  no  drink  for  them.  The  word  "Sa'lanyi,"  used  as  the  English  use  "farewell,"  means 
literally  "You  remain  here,"  so  that  "Sa'lanyi  mu'chimwa"  has  in  this  case  a  double  meaning. 


FROM   THE  DARK  CONTINENT 39 

{Metrical  translation) 
Baba'  ca  lofa'la  My  father,  he  married 

Ngwena'  ino  luma''  A  crocodile  wife, 

I-ya,  I-ya-wo-ye!  That  bites,  that  bites. 

{Literal  translation) 
My  father,  lie  married 
A  crocodile  that  bites. 

"KUFA'MBA" 

("To  Walk") 
MOCKING-SONG 

This  is  a  mocking,  teasing  song,  which  holds  up  to  ridicule  a  young  man  or 
girl  who  looks  conceited  or  proud.  It  is  sung  by  young  people — usually  boys— 
to  taunt  or  embarrass  the  youth  or  maiden  who,  while  passing  by  or  dancing, 
has  innocently  called  forth  this  song.  "Is  it  thus  that  a  young  man  should  walk!" 
the  boys  sing;  or,  "Is  it  thus  that  a  young  girl  should  dance!''  And  then  the 
victim,  who  has  perhaps  been  quite  unconscious,  becomes  most  uncomfortable. 

The  music  of  the  song  is  also  played  on  the  "mari'mba"  (see  page  xxii),  and 
if  any  one  in  passing  hears  it,  he  wonders  at  once  if  it  is  he  whom  the  boys  are 
thus  mocking.     For  that  tune   means   that  somebody  is   laughing! 

The  song-words  may  be  changed  in  order  to  deride  anything  that  the  object 
of  the  song's  pointing  finger  may  be  doing  at  the  moment.  "Is  it  thus  that  a 
maiden  should  laugh!"  they  sing,  or,  "Is  it  thus  that  a  young  man  should  stand 
(or  sit,  or  talk)!" 

"Kufa'mba,"  to  walk;  "Kuta'mba,"  to  dance;  "Kuse'ka,"  to  laugh; 
"Kui'ma,"  to  stand;  "Ku'mba,"  to  sing;  and  "Kuga'la,"  to  sit,  are  words  often 
used.  The  purpose  of  the  song  is,  of  course,  to  mock  whatever  the  unfortunate 
victim  of  derision  may  then  be  doing. 

The  following  quotation  from  the  work  of  Mr.  H.  E.  Krehbiel  is  of  interest 
in  connection  with  this  native  "Taunt  Song"  from  the  Dark  Continent. 

"On  the  plantations  where  Latin  influences  were  dominant,  in  New  Orleans 
and  the  urban  communities  of  the  Antilles,  the  satirical  song  was  greatly  in 
vogue.  It  might  be  said  that  the  use  of  song  for  purposes  of  satire  cannot  be 
said  to  be  peculiar  to  any  one  race  or  people  or  time;  in  fact.  Professor  Henry  T. 
Fowler,  of  Brown  University,  in  his  'History  of  the  Literature  of  Ancient  Israel' 
(N.  Y.,  The  Macmillan  Co.,  1912,  p.  15),  intimates  that  a  parallel  may  exist  be- 
tween the  "taunt  songs"  of  primitive  peoples,  the  Israelitish  triumph  songs,  like 
that  recorded  in  Numbers  XXI,  27-30,  the  tescennine  verses  of  the  early  Ro- 
mans, and  the  satirical  songs  of  the  Negroes  of  the  West  Indies.  Nevertheless, 
there  is  scarcely  a  doubt  in  my  mind  but  that  the  penchant  for  musical  lampooning 
which  is  marked  among  the  black  creoles  of  the  Antilles  is  more  a  survival  of 
primitive  practice  brought  by  their  ancestors  from  Africa  than  the  custorns 
borrowed  from  their  masters."  (H.  E.  Krehbiel's  "Afro-American  Folksongs," 
G.  Schirmer;  pp.  140-141.) 

'These  words  are  accented  differently  in  speaking.     See  Appendix. 


40  SONGS  AND   TALES 


Kufa'mba  mu  ka'deya'  mbudu'mbi?       To    -.calk    thus — are  these  the  ways  of 

manhood? 
(Eva!  Eya!)  (O  yes!  O  yes!) 

Kuta'mba  mu  ka'deya  mbudu'mbi?         To   dance   thus — are  these  the  ways  of 

manhood? 
(Eya!  Eya!)  (Oyes!  O  yes!) 

E  we  ye  ye  E  zve  ye  ye^ 

E  zve  ye,  E  we  ye, 

Mbudu'mbi?  Of  manhood? 

E  we  ye.  E  we  ye. 

Kufa'mba  mu  ka'deya  mbudu'mbi?        To    zvalk    thus — are  these  the  ways    of 

manhood? 
(Eya!  Eya!)  (Oyes!  Oyes!) 

Kuse' ka  mu  ka.'dey£i  mhupu'ntha.:-  To   laugh  thus — are  these  the  ways   of 

maidens? 
(Eya!  Eya!)  (Oyes!  Oyes!) 

Kui'ma  mu  ka'deya  mbupu'n//za?  To  stand  thus — are  these  the  ways   of 

maidens? 
(Eya!  Eya!)  (Oyes!  Oyes!) 

E  we  ye  ye,  E  we  ye  ye, 

E  we  ye,  E  we  ye, 

Mbupu'n/Aa?  Of  maidens? 

E  we  ye.  E  zve  ye. 

Kuse'ka  mu  ka'deya  mbupu'n//;a?  To  laugh   thus — are  these   the  ways   of 

maidens? 
(Eya!  Eya!)  (Oyes!  Oyes!) 

{Literal  translation) 

This  song  is  so  idiomatic  that  a  literal  translation  is  almost  impossible.  The 
nearest  English  equivalent  to  the  satire  implied  in  the  African  words  would 
perhaps  be: 

"Is  it  thus  that  a  young  man  should  walk! 
Is  it  thus  that  a  maiden  should  dance!"  etc. 

or,  as  Ka'mba  Sima'ngo  stated,  an  equally  correct  translation  would  be: 

"Is  this  the  way  that  a  young  man  should  walk!" 
or  again, 

"This  way  that  you  walk — is  that  the  way  of  a  young  man?"  etc. 

•The  accent  on  the  word  "Ka'deya"  falls  on  the  first  syllable  in  this  song,  in  order  to  fit  the  strutting 
rhythm  of  the  music.     But  in  common  usage  the  word  is  "Kade'ya"  with  the  accent  on  the  second  syllable. 

Any  verb  of  the€ame  rhythmic  accent  may  replace  this  verb. 

^Pronounced  like  "/"  followed  by  a  slightly  aspirant  "A";    not  pronounced  like  the  English  "//;." 

'Vowels  are  given  the  Continemtal  sounds,  so  these  meaningless  refrain-syllables  are  pronounced  "ay 
way  yay." 


FROM   THE  DARK  CONTINENT 


41 


CHILI'LO 

LAMENT 

When  a  person  dies,  the  people  notify  the  cliief  or  governor,  and  the  body 
Is  buried  the  next  day.  Friends  gatlier,  and  a  procession  bears  the  body  to  a 
grove,  if  possible  (not  to  an  open  space,  where  the  hot  sun  beats  down,  but  to 
some  sheltered  spot  where  there  are  trees  and  shade),  and  there  the  grave  is  dug. 
There  is  no  mourning  during  the  burial,  for  the  "Chi/i'/o,"  the  Ceremony  of 
Lamentations,  does  not  begin  until  the  next  day.  Those  who  went  to  the  burial 
return  with  the  bereaved  ones  to  the  kraal,  and  there  they  stay  till  the  end  of 
the  ceremony. 

The  next  day,  at  dawn,  the  sound  of  wailing  is  heard  in  the  distance,  for 
more  neighbors  are  now  gathering  for  the  "Chi/i'/o,"  lamenting  as  they  come. 
If  the  dead  person  be  a  man,  the  widow  lifts  her  voice  and  answers  the  lamen- 
tations of  the  approaching  friends,  while  those  who  were  with  her  at  the  burial 
now  also  begin  to  mourn.  With  sobs  between  the  diiTerent  exclamations,  the 
people  wail  "O  Mother!"'  "What  distress!"  "We  are  left  alone!"  The  lamen- 
tations last  for  two  or  three  days,  according  to  circumstances  and  to  the  character 
and  standing  of  the  dead  person,  and  during  this  time  all  who  take  part  in  the 
wailing  receive  the  hospitality  of  the  family  of  the  dead.  On  the  last  day  a  feast 
is  spread. 

This  song  of  lamentation  was  sung  by  a  woman  who  lived  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Zambesi  River,  and  who  was  the  beloved  and  only  wife  of  a  man  named 
Bala  nku.  On  her  husband's  death  she  poured  out  her  great  sorrow  in  a  song  so 
beautiful  that  it  was  remembered  and  sung  by  others  for  its  lovely  melody.  So 
popular  has  it  become  that  it  is  also  played  upon  the  "mbi'la,"-  a  small  native 
instrument. 


Ndi'no  muwana'  pi 

I'nga  Bala'nku, 

Mai! 
I'nga  Bala'nku, 

Man 

Ndi'no  muwana'  pi 

I'nga  Bala'nku, 

Mai! 
I'nga  Bala'nku, 

Mai! 


{Metrical  translation  to  fit   the  original 

rhythm  of  the  African  verse,  a  rhythm 

zvhich  is  peculiarly  songful  and 

melodious) 

Where  shall  I  find  one 

Like  to  Bala'nku, 

Mother! 
Like  to  Bala'nku, 

Mother!     ' 

Where  shall  I  find  one 

Like  to  Bala'nku, 

Mother! 
Like  to  Bala'nku, 
Mother! 


'For  explanation  of  the  cry  "O  Mother!"  see  page  xxii 
'^Mbi'la;  see  page  8. 


42 


SONGS  AND  TALES 


Mai,  mai,  niai, 
Ma — mai — ne' , 

MaV! 
I'nga  Bala'nku. 


Mother,  Mother,  Mother! 
Ma — mai — ne' , 
Mother! 
Like  to  Bala'nku. 


Wa  kandi  zisa'*  ko  zakana'ka': 


Ze'se 


izi'* 


ndak 


a  ziwa'na'* 


Wa  kandi  t'one'sa  kudaka'la'.* 
Mai! 

I'nga  Bala'nku, 
Mai',  mai,  mai, 
Ma — mai — ne' , 

Mai! 
I'nga  Bala'nku. 


He  it  was  who  brought  me  unto  goodly 

things: 
All  these  in  very  truth  I  did  possess, 
Through   him,    my   husband,    I   beheld 

great  joy, 

Mother! 

None  like  Bala'nku.^ 
Mother,  Mother,  Mother, 
Ma — mai — ne' , 
Mother! 
None  like  Bala'nku. 


3 

Ze  se  \z\   :;andi  gumi  la  ' 

hwa  I'ulombo'  hwangu'  wha  ndoga' 

I'nini  nda  siwa'  ndoga' 

Mai! 


Now  all  these  sorrows  have  befallen  me, 
And  this  great  misery  is  mine  alone, 
By  myself  thus  weeping  I  am  left  alone. 

Mother! 


I'nga  Bala'nku, 
Mai,  mai,  mai, 
Ma — mai — ne' , 

Mai! 
I'nga  Bala'nku. 


{Literal  translation) 


None  like  Bala'nku, 
Mother,  Mother,  Mother! 
Ma — mai — ne' , 
Mother! 
None  like   Bala'nku. 


Where  shall  I  find  one 

Like  to  Bala'nku, 

Mother! 
Like  to  Bala'nku, 
Mother! 

*The  accents  in  these  lines  follow  the  poetical  rhythm  of  the  musical  phrases.     In  ordinary  speech  the 
words  marked  with  an  asterisk  are  accented  as  follows:   zi'sa,  i'zi,  ka'ziwana,  kuda'kala. 
'In  ordinary  speech  these  lines  are  accented  as  follows: 
Ze'se  Vz\  za  ndi  gumi'la 
Wha  t'ulo'mbo  wha'ngu  wha  ndo'ga 
Ini'ni  nda  si'wa  ndo'ga. 
^By  the  refrain  "I'nga  Bala'nku,"  meaning  literally  "Like  to   Bala'nku,"  is   here   understood;  "None 
like  Bala'nku,"  the  sense  being  carried  over  from  the  first  verse. 


FROM   THE  DJRK  CONTINENT 43 

Where  shall  I  find  one 

Like  to  Bala'nku, 

A/lot  her! 
Like  to  Bala'nku, 

Mother! 

Mother,  Mother,  Mother, 
Ma — niai — ne  , 
Mother! 
Like  to  Bala'nku. 


He  brought  me  unto  goodly  things, 
All  these  I  did  possess; 
He  showed  me  joy, 

Mother! 

None  like  Bala'nku, 
Mother,  Mother,  Mother, 
Ma — mal — ne' , 
Mother! 
None  like  Bala'nku. 

3 

All  these  sorrows  have  befallen  me. 
This  misery  is  mine  alone, 
By  myself  I  am  left  alone. 

Mother! 

None  like  Bala'nku, 
Mother,  Mother,  Mother, 
Ma — mai — ne' , 
Mother! 
None  like  Bala'nku. 


FOLK-TALES 

I 

THE  HARE  AND  THE  TORTOISE 

Shu'lo,  the  Hare,  was  forever  playing  tricks  on  the  other  animals  and  getting 
the  best  of  them.  He  could  almost  always  outwit  them  and  get  what  he  wanted. 
But  there  were  two  animals,  Jo'ngwe,  the  Rooster,  and  Ha'mba,  the  Tortoise, 
who  were  a  match  for  him.  In  this  story  you  will  see  how  the  Tortoise  outwitted 
the  Hare. 

The  Hare  and  the  Tortoise  went  out  to  steal  sweet  potatoes.  After  they  had 
dug  all  they  wanted,   they  made  a  fire  and  roasted  enough  potatoes  to  quiet 


44  ■         SONGS  AND  TALES 


their  hunger,  and  the  rest  they  put  into  their  sacks  to  carry  home.  The  Hare  said, 
"Come,  let  us  run  off  in  opposite  directions  and  call  out  to  the  people  that  some 
one  has  been  stealing  their  sweet  potatoes!  Then  we  will  run  back  and  pick  up 
our  sacks  and  scamper  home  before  they  can  catch  us."  The  Hare  thought  to 
himself  that  the  Tortoise  would  be  so  slow  that  the  people  would  reach  the 
potato  field  before  the  Tortoise  could  be  off  with  his  sack.  So  they  started  in 
opposite  directions  to  alarm  the  people,  and  when  the  Hare  ran  swiftly  back  to 
get  his  sack,  the  Tortoise  was  as  yet  nowhere  in  sight.  "He  will  surely  be 
caught  and  punished  for  the  thief,"  said  the  Hare  to  himself,  as  he  picked  up 
his  sack,  threw  it  over  his  shoulder,  and  started  home.  He  found  the  sack 
very  heavy,  but  he  cheered  himself  with  the  thought  of  the  fine  dinner  he  was 
going  to  have.  As  he  walked  along  with  the  sack  over  his  shoulder,  it  seemed 
to  him  that  his  burden  kept  getting  lighter  and  lighter.  "How  strong  I  am!"  he 
thought;  "the  further  I  walk  the  lighter  it  gets." 

When  he  got  home  he  called  to  his  wife,  "Ho,  wife!  Come  and  see  the  fine 
dinner  I  have  brought — and  with  no  work  at  all.  The  Tortoise  did  all  the  digging, 
and  I've  got  all  his  potatoes!" 

With  that  he  threw  down  the  sack  and  opened  it.  But  there  was  not  a 
potato  left  in  it!     And  out  crawled  the  Tortoise. 

"It  was  a  fine  dinner,"  said  the  Tortoise,  "and  I  enjoyed  the  sweet  potatoes 
on  the  journey.  For  when  you  called  to  me  that  the  men  and  dogs  were  coming 
to  catch  and  kill  us  for  stealing  the  sweet  potatoes,  I  crawled  into  the  sack.  You 
carried  me  all  the  way  home — I  dare  say  I  was  a  bit  'heavy — and  I  never  had  to 
walk  a  step."  Then  he  smiled  as  he  added,  "And  I  ate  all  the  sweet  potatoes 
on  the  way!" 

II 

THE  HARE  AND  THE  BABOON 

Shu'lo,  the  Hare,  thought  he  would  play  a  trick  on  Zinhe'de,  the  Baboon. 
So  he  said  one  day — 

"Baboon,  I  have  a  fine  plan.  Let  us  do  something  new  for  fun!  Let  us  kill 
our  mothers!" 

Then  the  Hare  went  home,  and  he  took  an  old  hide  and  whacked-it  with  a 
stick  and  cried  out  and  made  a  great  noise,  as  if  he  were  beating  some  one  to 
death.  And  the  Baboon  heard  it  and  said  to  himself,  "Yes,  there  is  the  Hare  in 
his  kraal,  beating  his  mother  to  death.     I  will  do  the  same." 

So  the  Baboon  took  up  a  stick  and  killed  his  mother. 

Then  the  Hare  and  the  Baboon  went  out  hunting.  But  when  the  Baboon 
came  home,  there  was  no  one  to  cook  for  him  nor  to  tend  him  in  any  way — -only 
his  mother's  body  lay  dead  on  the  ground.  He  was  very  lonely  and  hungry  and 
sad.     And  he  wept  beside  his  dead  mother. 

But  the  Hare  came  home  leaping  and  chuckling.  For  his  mother  was  there 
in  the  kraal,  and  soon  his  supper  was  cooking.  Together  they  ate  and  laughed 
at  the  stupid  Baboon,  who  had  no  more  sense  than  to  kill  his  best  friend  for  fun! 


FROM   THE  DARK  CONTINENT 


III 
HOW  THE  ANIMALS  DUG  THEIR  WELL 

Once  there  was  a  terrible  drought:  no  rain  fell,  the  lakes  dried  up  and  the 
animals  had  no  water.  So  Mphon'tholo,  the  Lion,  who  was  King,  called  all  the 
animals  together  and  said,  "You  must  dig  a  well.  Each  of  you  must  do  his  share 
and  take  his  turn." 

But  Shu'lo,  the  Hare,  said,  "I  shall  not  waste  my  time  nor  trouble  myself 
with  any  digging.     Let  the  others  do  that."     So  he  ran  off"  by  himself. 

But  the  other  animals  all  gathered  to  do  their  share;  they  came  from  many 
different  parts  of  the  country  and  each  one,  as  he  trotted  in  to  the  place  chosen 
for  the  well,  sang  as  he  ran: 

Chinya'  nje-nje'leka  nje,  I'm  coming  joggy-jog  trot, 

Chinya'  nje-nje'leka  nje,  I'm  coming  joggy-jog  trot, 

Chinya'  nje-nje'leka  nje.  I'm  coming  joggy-jog  trot. 

Then  he  began  to  dance,  for  he  thought  that  b-y  dancing  he  would  kick  up 
the  ground.     That  was  his  way  of  digging.     And  as  he  danced  he  sang: 

Kupu'tu,'  kupu'tu,  buku'ta  mphu'li!-  Kupu'tu,  kupu'tu,  the  dirt  is  flying! 

Then  he  made  way  for  the  next  animal,  saying, 

Ti  no  lu  ka'nda  ku'na,  Vd?  Njou!        I  give  my  place  to  you.  Sir  Elephant! 

Then  Njou,  the  Elephant,  would  dance  and  sing, 

Chinya'  nje-nje'leka  nje,  I'm  coming  joggy-jog  trot, 

Chinya'  nje-nje'leka  nje,  I'm  coming  joggy-jog  trot, 

Chinya'  nje-nje'leka  nje.  I'm  coming  joggy-jog  trot. 

Kupu'tu,  kupu'tu,  buku'ta  mphu'li!  Kupu'tu,  kupu'tu,  the  dirt  is  flying! 

At  the  end  of  his  dance  Njou  would  say, 

Ti  no  lu  ka'nda  ku'na,  Va.  Nya'ti!  I  give  my  place  to  you.  Sir  Buffalo! 

Then  Nya'ti,  the  Buffalo,  would  dance  and  sing, 

Chinya'  nje-nje'leka  nje,  I'm  coming  joggy-jog  trot, 

Chinya'  nje-nje'leka  nje,  I'm  coming  joggy-jog  trot, 

Chinya'  nje-nje'leka  nje.  I'm  coming  joggy-jog  trot. 

Kupu'tu,  kupu'tu,  buku'ta  mphu'li!  Kupu'tu,  kupu'tu,  the  dirt  is  flying! 

At  the  end  of  his  dance  Nya'ti  would  say, 

Ti  no  lu  ka'nda  ku'na,  Ta  She'len!        I  give  my  place  to  you.  Sir  Bush-Buck! 

So  it  went  on  until  all  had  sung  and  danced  and  dug,  yet  no  water  was  in  sight. 

'Kupu'tu  has  no  meaning,  but  the  three-syllable  word  is  always  used  to  imitate  the  sound  of  an  animal 

loping. 

-The  "h"  is  aspirate;    "ph"  in  African  is  tiol  pronounced  like  the  English  "f." 

'The  word  "  /a"  in  the  Chindau'  language  is  an  honorific,  corresponding  to  the  English  "Mr."  or  "Sir.  ' 

It  is  often  used  by  the  natives  in  addressing  one  another. 


46  SONGS   AND    TALES 


Now,  of  course,  though  the  animals  thought  they  were  digging  they  were 
really  only  packing  the  earth  down  harder  and  harder  by  dancing  in  the  same 
place.  So  they  all  took  counsel  together  and  the  King  called  the  Tortoise, 
Ha'mba;  and  Ha'mba  said,  "The  water  is  under  the  earth."  And  so  instead  of 
dancing  on  top  of  the  earth  he  dug  down  'way  underneath,  far  into  the  ground, 
and  there  he  found  the  water! 

When  the  well  was  finished  the  animals  were  very  happy,  for  they  knew  that 
they  would  have  plenty  to  drink.  But  they  also  knew  that  they  could  not  trust 
Shu'lo,  the  Hare.  They  said,  "Though  Shu'lo  would  not  help  and  has  done 
none  of  the  digging,  we  know  that  he  will  come  at  night  and  try  to  steal  our 
water."  And  they  said,  "Each  night  one  of  us  must  watch  the  well."  And 
Bon'go,  the  Hyena,  said,  "I  will  watch  the  first  night." 

Shu'lo,  meanwhile,  was  planning  how  he  could  get  the  water;  and  he  filled 
his  calabash  with  honey  and  went  to  the  well.  There  was  Bo'ngo  just  as  he 
expected.  Shu'lo  said  as  though  talking  to  himself,  ^''Pve  got  something  here  so 
sweet  that  anybody  who  tastes  it  would  have  to  be  tied  up  before  I'd  give  him  a 
second  taste."  Bo'ngo  said,  "Ho,  Shu'lo!  Give  me  some  of  that  sweet  stuff." 
And  Shu'lo  dipped  a  stick  in  the  calabash  and  smeared  a  little  of  the  honey  across 
Bo'ngo's  mouth.  Bo'ngo  licked  his  jaws.  "More!"  he  cried.  Shu'lo  said,  "Any- 
body who  tastes  this  would  have  to  be  tied  up  before  I'd  give  him  a  second  taste." 
Bo'ngo  answered,  "Tie  me  up,  Shu'lo,  but  give  me  some  more."  So  the  Hare  tied 
the  Hyena  hand  and  foot,  but  instead  of  giving  him  any  honey  he  went  to  the  well 
and  drank  all  he  wanted  and  filled  his  water  gourds.  Then  he  jumped  into  the 
water  and  splashed  around;  then  he  ran  away  leaving  the  well  all  muddy  and  dirty. 

The  next  night  they  set  Ka'mba,  the  Leopard,  to  watch.  And  along  came 
Shu'lo  again  talking  to  himself  and  saying,  "/'z'^  got  something  so  szveet  that  any- 
body who  tastes  it  would  have  to  be  tied  up  before  I'd  give  him  a  second  taste." 
Ka'mba  said,  "Let  me  taste  it,  Shu'lo!"  So  Shu'lo  smeared  the  Leopard's  mouth 
with  honey  and  Ka'mba  licked  his  whiskers  and  said,  "More!"  But  Shu'lo  an- 
swered, "Anybody  who  tastes  this  would  have  to  be  tied  up  before  I'd  give  him  a 
second  taste."  Ka'mba  said,  "Tie  me  up  as  tight  as  you  like,  Shu'lo,  but  give  me 
another  taste."  So  the  Hare  tied  the  Leopard,  all  four  paws,  but  he  never  gave 
him  any  honey  at  all.  He  filled  his  gourds  and  then  drank  at  the  well;  then  he 
jumped  into  the  water  and  splashed  and  muddied  it.  Then  he  ran  away  leaving 
it  all  dirty. 

The  next  night  they  set  Alpho'fu,  the  Antelope,  to  watch;  a'nd  when  the 
moon  was  rising  along  came  Shu'lo  saying,  ^^Pve  got  something  so  sweet  that  any- 
body who  tastes  it  would  have  to  be  tied  up  before  I'd  give  him  another  taste." 
And  Mpho'fu  said,  "Let  me  taste  it,  Shu'lo!"  Then  Shu'lo  smeared  the  Antelope's 
mouth  with  honey.  Mpho'fu  had  never  tasted  anything  like  that  before  and  he 
licked  his  nose  and  said,  "Give  me  some  more!"  But  Shu'lo  answered,  "Any- 
body who  tastes  this  would  have  to  be  tied  up  before  I'd  give  him  a  second 
taste."  Mpho'fu  too  was  willing  to  be  tied  up  for  another  taste  of  the  honey; 
so  Shu'lo  bound  him,  all  four  hoofs,  and  then  he  not  only  drank  his  fill  at  the  well, 
but  bathed  in  the  water  and  muddied  it  and  ran  away  home.  So  it  happened 
every  night,  and  always  Shu'lo  carried  full  calabashes  home  to  his  kraal  and  all 
through  the  drought  his  family  had  plenty  to  drink. 


AFRICAN  TEXTILE  DESIGNS 
(In  native  plush,  woven  and  cut  from  palm-fibre) 


FROM   THE  DJRK  CON  TIN  EN  7' 47 

At  last  it  came  the  Tortoise's  turn  to  watch  by  the  well,  but  instead  of  wait- 
ing on  the  bank,  Ha'mba,  the  wise  Tortoise,  went  down  into  the  water  and  lay 
quietly  at  the  bottom.  When  Shu'lo  saw  that  there  was  no  one  at  the  well  he 
laughed  to  himself  and  said,  "So  they  have  given  it  up!  And  the  well  is  mine  with- 
out any  work  and  without  any  digging."  So  he  set  his  calabashes  out  on  the  rim 
of  the  well  and  he  jumped  into  the  water.  But  no  sooner  was  he  in  than  Ha'mba, 
who  was  lying  quietly  on  the  bottom,  opened  his  mouth  and  snapped  at  Sliu'lo's 
foot.  He  caught  Shu'lo  and  held  him  tight  so  that  he  could  not  move.  When 
Shu'lo  saw  the  fix  that  he  was  in  he  said,  "Is  that  you,  Ha'mba.^  I've  got  some- 
thing so  sweet  that  I'll  let  yOu  have  a  taste  if  you  want  some."  He  hoped  that 
Ha'mba  would  open  his  mouth  and  let  go  of  the  Hare's  foot.  But  Ha'mba  never 
said  a  word.  He  held  Shu'lo  tight  and  fast  till  the  daylight  came;  and  wlien  the 
other  animals  came  to  the  well  for  their  morning  drink,  there  was  Shu'lo  caught  at 
last. 

They  bound  him  and  they  took  him  before  Mpho'ntholo  the  Lion  to  be 
judged.  Mpho'ntholo  said,  "You  would  not  help  to  dig  the  well,  but  night  after 
night  you  have  stolen  the  water  and  made  the  well  all  muddy  for  the  other  animals. 
You  must  die."  And  the  Hare  said,  "Oh  Mpho'ntholo,  oh  King!  If  I  must  die 
grant  me  first  one  little  request.  Let  me  sing  just  one  little  song,  let  me  dance 
just  one  little  dance  before  my  death."  The  King  thought,  "There  can  be  no 
harm  in  that,  for  all  the  animals  will  sit  around  in  a  circle  and  watch  Shu'lo  so 
that  he  can  not  escape."  So  the  Lion  was  merciful  and  granted  Shu'lo  his  wish. 
Then  the  Hare  began  to  sing  and  clap  his  hands  and  he  danced  and  sang: 

Na'ndi  Shu'lo  kupe'mbela-u  Hi,  oh  Hare,  going  away, 

Now  ya'  lin'.'  Returning  when.'' 

Mangwa'n'!  To-morrow! 

Iwe  Shu'lo  kupe'mbela-u  You,  O  Hare,  going  away, 

Nov\  ya'  lin'.?  Returning  when.'' 

Mangwa'n'!  To-morrow! 

Kuti'  Shu'lo  wape'mbela-u  If,  O  Hare,  going  away, 

Woz't'i  ya'  lin'.?  Returning  when.^ 

Mangwa'n'!  To-morrow! 

Now  the  other  animals,  seeing  Shu'lo  dance,  began  to  beat  time  to  the  music 
and  to  clap  too,  and  soon  they  began  to  sing  with  Shu'lo,  for  it  was  a  most  irresist- 
ible song!  And  soon  their  feet  began  to  move  because  they  could  not  keep  still 
with  all  the  singing  and  clapping,  and  in  a  little  while  all  the  animals  were  dancing. 
Because  of  the  drought  the  earth  was  so  dry  that  a  thick  cloud  of  dust  arose  from 
all  those  dancing  feet;  and  when  the  animals  stopped  dancing  tired  out — for  it 
was  a  fine  dance! — they  could  not  see  one  another  for  the  dust.  And  when  the 
dust  cleared,  where  was  Shu'lo.^     He  had  run  away! 

IV 
THE  JACKAL  AND  THE  ROOSTER 

One  day  Mu'hwe,  the  Jackal,  found  Jo'ngwe,  the  Rooster,  sitting  up  in  a 
tree. 


48  SONGS   AND    TALES 


"Come  down,  Jo'ngwe,"  said  the  Jackal,  "to-day  is  a  holiday.    Mpho'ntholo, 

the  King,  the  Lion,  has  declared  that  this  day  all  animals  shall  be  at  peace  and 

no  one  shall  eat  the  other.     Come  down,  and  let  us  play  together  as  friends." 

.  But  Jo'ngwe,  the  Rooster,  only  kept  his  eyes  on  the  horizon  and  did  not 

move. 

"Come  down,  Jo'ngwe,"  said  Alu'hwe,  the  Jackal,  "I  tell  you  the  King  has 
said  that  this  day  shall  be  a  holiday," 

Then  Jo'ngwe,  still  looking  off  afar  said,  "Yes,  I  see  that  to-day  must  be  a 
holiday  because  of  the  cloud  of  dust  that  is  coming  nearer."  It  was  in  reality 
only  a  mist  on  the  horizon,  but  the  Jackal  asked  anxiously  of  Jo'ngwe,  up  in 
the  tree, 

"What  do  you  see  in  the  cloud  of  dust.^" 

"\Ien  and  dogs,"  answered  Jo'ngwe. 

"Then  farewell,  Jo'ngwe,"  said  Mu'hwe,  the  Jackal,  "I  had  better  be  going 
now,  for  dogs  and  I  are  not  friends." 

"But  you  said  that  to-day  is  a  holiday,"  said  Jo'ngwe,  the  Rooster,  "King 
Mpho'ntholo,  the  Lion,  has  declared  that  all  animals  shall  be  friends  and  that 
no  one  shall  eat  the  other.  This  you  told  me.  You  need  not  fear  the  dogs; 
don't  go." 

But  Mu'hwe,  the  Jackal,  ran  away. 

"You  have  pro\-ed  yourself,"  called  after  him  Jo'ngwe,  the  Rooster,  "You 
only  wanted  to  eat  me!" 


DEATH  OF  THE  HARE 

One  day  Shu'lo,  the  Hare,  was  visiting  the  Rooster's  home  and  he  saw 
Jo'ngwe,  the  Rooster,  standing  on  one  leg.  His  other  leg  was  gone,  and  his 
head  was  gone,  too!  The  Hare  was  so  astonished  that  he  stood  stock-still,  and 
then  ran  home  and  told  his  wife. 

Next  day  he  went  to  see  the  Rooster  again.  But  the  Rooster  was  up  in  a 
tree,  and  his  head  was  there  again,  and  so  were  both  his  legs. 

The  Hare  was  still  more  astonished,  and  he  said,  "When  I  saw  you  yester- 
day, your  head  was  gone  and  you  had  only  one  leg." 

"Oh,"  said  the  Rooster,  "that's  nothing!  My  head  and  my"  leg  went  visiting. 
They  went  off  to  another  kraal,  and  we  had  singing  and  beer-drinking.  I  often 
enjoy  myself  that  way  without  trouble.  I  tell  my  wife  to  cut  off  my  head  and 
my  leg,  and  then  ni}'  head  and  leg  go  visiting  and  have  a  good  time.  It  is  very 
easy." 

So  the  Hare  thought,  "I'm  going  to  try  that,  too!  If  Jo'ngwe  can  do  that, 
why  can't  I?" 

So  he  ran  home  and  told  his  wife. 

"Wife,  take  a  sharp  knife  and  cut  off  my  head  and  my  leg  so  that  they  can 
go  visiting  like  the  Rooster's.  I  saw  Jo'ngwe,  the  Rooster,  again  to-day,  and  his 
head  and  leg  were  on  again,  and  he  told  me  that  they  had  been  away  to  another 
kraal,  dancing  and  singing  and  drinking  beer.  Now,  I  want  my  head  and  leg  to 
do  the  same,  so  cut  them  off!" 


FROM   THE  D.-IRK  COXTIXEXT 


49 


"But  if  I  cut  off  your  head,"  said  the  wife,  "you  will  die!" 

"No,  I  won't,"  said  Shu'lo,  the  Hare.  "Jo'ngwe  is  not  dead.  I  saw  him 
one  day  with  his  head  and  leg  gone,  and  I  saw  him  the  next  day  with  his  head 
and  leg  on  again.     You  do  what  I  say." 

So  the  wife  took  a  sharp  knife  and  cut  off  the  Hare's  leg  and  then  his  head. 
She  waited  for  the  head  and  leg  to  fly  off  visiting,  but  they  never  moved.  .And 
there  lay  Shu'lo,  the  Hare,  dead. 

So  she  ran  to  the  Rooster's  kraal. 

"My  husband  is  dead!"  she  cried.  "What  shall  I  do. f"  His  leg  and  his  head 
have  never  gone  visiting  at  all!  How  shall  I  put  them  on  again  and  bring  him 
to  life.'" 

Then  Jo'ngwe,  the  Rooster,  laughed  to  himself.  For  he  knew  that  his  own 
head  and  leg  had  never  been  cut  off.  He  had  only  drawn  his  leg  up  under  him 
to  rest  it  while  he  went  to  sleep,  and  as  for  his  head,  he  had  simply  tucked  it 
under  his  wing.  The  visits  he  had  had  were  pleasant  dreams  of  singing  and  beer- 
drinking  in  other  kraals. 


LEGEND  AND  SONG  OF  THE  DAUGHTER 
AND  THE  SLAVE 


A  man  had  three  wives,  one  of  whom  he  loved  far  more  than  the  other  two. 
She  was  his  favorite,  the  wife  beloved. 

One  day  he  went  trapping  and  caught  a  guinea-fowl  which  he  brought  back 
and  gave  to  the  favorite  wife,  that  she  might  cook  it  for  him.  Now  such  signs 
of  favor  often  arouse  jealousy  among  the  wives;  so  one  of  them,  ill-humored, 
stole  the  guinea-fowl.  Next  morning,  though  all  searched,  no  one  could  find  the 
bird,  nor  could  they  discover  who  had  taken  it.  So  it  was  decided  to  reveal 
the  guilty  one  by  an  ordeal.  A  cord  was  suspended  over  the  Buji  river  like  a 
bridge;  the  two  jealous  wives  must  cross  the  river,  treading  upon  the  cord,  and 
the  one  who  was  guilty  would  fall  in. 

Now  the  woman  who  stole  the  fowl  had  two  daughters.  The  elder  daughter, 
who  was  named  Mwa'li,  had  been  married  long  ago  and  lived  far  away;  the  younger 
lived  at  home.  The  guilty  wife  knew  that  with  the  ordeal  she  would  fall  into 
the  river  and  be  drowned.  So  she  called  her  young  daughter  and  said,  "When 
I  am  dead,  go  and  live  with  your  married  sister  and  take  with  you  your  slave- 
maid."  (Slaves  are  often  war-captives  taken  from  the  enemy;  young  boys  and 
girls  were  brought  home  from  the  wars  as  booty.) 

Next  morning,  at  the  trial,  each  wife,  as  she  crossed  the  river  must  sing, 

Lusi'nga,  lusi'nga.  Cord,  Cord, 

Da'ndali!  Kuti'  ndili'ni,  Da'ndali!  If  I  am  guilty 

Da'ndali!  Nda  ka  be  ga'nga,  Da'ndali!  And  stole  the  treasure 

Da'ndali!  Ganga'  la  chi'de,  Da'ndali!  Of  the  beloved, 

Da'ndali!  Luslnga',  dacu'ka,  Da'ndali!  Then,  cord,  break   with   me, 

Da'ndali!  Ndi  wile  mwa  Buji,  Da'ndali!  Into  the  Buji 

Da'ndali!  Ndi  zo  fila'  mwo.  Da'ndali!   I'll  fall  and  perish. 


50  SOXGS   AND    TALES 


The  first  of  the  jealous  wives,  who  was  innocent,  sang  this  song  and  crossed 
safely.  The  second,  who  was  guilty,  sang  the  song  also,  talking  to  the  cord; 
when  she  was  midway  across  the  stream  the  cord  broke,  she  fell  into  the  water 
and  was  drowned. 

The  daughter  then  set  out  for  the  home  of  her  married  sister,  Mwa'li.  Now 
Mwa'li  had  not  seen  her  younger  sister  for  so  many  years  that  it  was  as  if  she 
had  never  looked  upon  her.  Nor  had  she  ever  seen  the  slave-maid.  But  the 
slave  knew  the  way  to  Mwa'li's  home  and  she  led  the  little  sister  through  the 
forests  and  along  the  narrow  paths.  As  they  were  nearing  the  kraal  where 
Mwa'li  lived  they  came  to  a  pond  and  laid  off  their  clothing  and  bathed,  for  they 
were  heated  and  tired.  The  little  sister  was  richly  dressed  and  carried  no  bundles, 
the  slave  was  scantily  clad  and  bore  the  basket.  When  they  came  out  of  the 
water  the  slave  said,  "Let  us  change  garments!  Let  us  see  how  I  would  look  in 
your  clothes,  and  you  take  my  basket — just  for  a  little  while;  then  we  will  change 
back  again."  So  the  slave  wore  her  mistress's  rich  clothing  and  the  little  mistress 
carried  the  basket.  They  started  walking,  but  after  they  had  gone  a  short  dis- 
tance the  little  sister  said,  "Let  us  stop!"  for  they  were  nearing  Mwa'li's  home 
and  could  already  see  the  kraal.  "Give  me  my  clothes,"  she  said,  "for  we  are 
almost  there!" 

But  the  slave  urged,  "Let  us  walk  just  a  little  further;  then  we  will  change 
back  to  our  own  clothes  again."  And  so  they  went  on  till  the  little  sister  cried 
again,  "O,  give  me  my  clothes!  We  are  almost  there."  But  once  more  the  slave 
persuaded  her  to  go  "a  little  further";  so  she  kept  saying  until  they  were  at  the 
very  entrance  to  the  kraal.  And  here  was  Mwa'li,  coming  forth  to  meet  them! 
The  little  sister  wept,  for  Mwa'li  took  her  to  be  a  slave,  and  treated  the  slave  like 
a  sister.  She  tried  to  explain,  but  the  slave  interrupted  her  proudly,  crying, 
"No!  Do  not  listen  to  her.  She  is  nothing  but  a  lying  slave.  I  am  your  sister." 
And  so  Mwa'li  was  deceived. 

Now  the  little  sister  was  sent  each  day  to  the  gardens  to  watch  the  crops  and 
keep  the  birds  from  eating  them.'  Early  every  morning  she  set  out,  and  late 
each  evening  she  returned.  Thus  was  she  made  to  work,  treated  as  a  slave  and 
poorly  fed.  But  each  morning,  early,  when  she  came  to  the  gardens,  she  sang 
this  song: 

Mai  ra-i-le'z'a,  Mother,  she  was  saying 

(Linde',  linde'!)^  (O  watch,^  O  watch!) 

'Note  1  — "Among  all  the  great  groups  of  the  'natural'  races,  the  Negroes  are  the  best  and  keenest  tillers 
of  the  ground.  A  minority  despise  agriculture  and  breed  cattle;  many  combine  both  occupations.  Among 
the  genuine  tillers  the  whole  life  of  the  family  is  taken  up  in  agriculture,  and  hence  the  months  are  by  prefer- 
ence called  after  the  operations  which  they  demand.  Constant  clearings  change  forests  to  fields,  and 
the  ground  is  manured  with  the  ashes  of  the  burnt  thicket.  In  the  middle  of  the  fields  rise  the  light  watch- 
towers,  from  which  a  watchman  scares  the  grain-eating  birds  and  other  thieves." 

Ratzel:  "History  of  Mankind,"  II,  p.  380/.     Quoted  by  W.  E.  B.  Du  Bois  in  "The  Negro,"  p.  107. 

Note  2. — "In  the  more  thickly  populated  parts  of  Africa  these  fields  often  stretch  for  many  a  mile, 
and  the  assiduous  care  of  the  Negro  women  shines  in  all  the  brighter  light  when  we  consider  the  insecurity 
of  life,  the  constant  feuds  and  pillages,  in  which  no  one  knows  whether  he  will  be  able,  in  the  end,  to  harvest 
what  he  has  sown.  Livingstone  gives  somewhere  a  graphic  description  of  the  devastations  wrought  by 
slave  hunts;  the  people  were  lying  about  slain,  the  dwellings  were  demolished;  in  the  fields,  however,  the 
grain  was  ripening  and  there  was  none  to  harvest  it." 

Quoted  in  VV.  E.  B.  Du  Bois'  "The  Negro"  (page  108),  from  "Industrial  Evolution"  (page  47). 

'The  accents  in  singing  differ  from  the  spoken  words.     See  interlinear  translations  in  the  .Appendix. 

'This  refers  to  the  maiden's  watch  over  the  garden. 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT -^ 

Ku'fa  kwa'ngu  pa'nd,  When  1  die,  m\'  daughter, 

(Linde',  linde' 
E'nda  ku  muku'lu. 

(Linde',  linde' 
Mukulu'  ndi  ya'ni? 

(Linde',  linde' 
Alukulu'  ndi  Alwa'li. 

( Linde',  linde' 
Mwa'li  wa-ndi  la'sha, 

(Linde',  linde' 
Ngo  kuda'  mula'nda. 

(Linde',  linde' 


(O  watch,  ()  watch!) 

Go  to  elder  sister. 
)  (O  watch,  O  watch!) 

Who  is  elder  sister? 
)  (O  watch,  O  watch!) 

Elder  sister,  Mwali. 
)  (O  watch,  O  watch!)     • 

Mwali,  she  hath  spurned  me, 
)  (O  watch,  O  watch!) 

For  to  love  the  slave-girl. 
)  (O  watch,  O  watch!) 


Then  the  spirit  of  the  dead  mother  would  come  and  brush  the  dirt  from  her 
daughter  and  clothe  her  in  rich  garments — and  each  night  the  girl  went  back 
dressed  as  she  used  to  be  at  home.  Then  the  real  slave,  when  she  saw  the  little 
sister  coming,  would  cry  out  and  exclaim,  "Look  how  the  slave  comes  so  richly 
clad!"  And  she  would  take  the  clothes  from  the  little  sister  and  beat  her.  Now 
this  is  often  the  way  with  poor  people:  when  they  suddenly  reach  a  rich  estate 
they' are  cruel  to  those  beneath  them.  So  this  slave  in  her  new-found  power  beat 
and  abused  her  former  mistress. 

But  each  day  in  the  garden  the  spirit  of  the  dead  mother  comforted  the  girl 
and  cried  out  in  compassion,  "How  can  Mwa'li  treat  you  thus!  How  wrong  this 
is!"  And  again  the  mother  would  dress  the  girl  in  fine  garments  and  give  her 
good  food.     But  every  night  the  slave  came  and  took  the  clothes  away. 

At  last  Mwa'li's  husband  noticed  how  the  supposed  slave  came  back  every 
evening  richly  dressed  and  went  forth  in  the  morning  again  dressed  as  a  slave. 
He  determined  to  find  out  where  she  got  those  fine  garments!  So  he  followed  to 
the  garden  and  hid,  and  heard  the  voice  of  the  mother's  spirit  saying,  "Oh!  That 
Mwa'li  should  treat  you  thus!"  And  he  saw  the  girl  decked  again  with  beauti- 
ful clothes.     He  was  convinced  that  this  was  Mwa'li's  real  sister. 

So  he  came  home  and  told  his  wife  what  he  had  seen.  And  then  they  heated 
a  pot  of  boiling  water,  and  dug  a  pit  and  spread  a  mat  over  it  and  called  the 
slave  who  was  pretending  to  be  the  sister  and  bade  her  sit  down.  The  slave  did 
so,  the  mat  gave  way  and  she  fell  into  the  pit.  Then  they  poured  boiling  water 
over  her  and  killed  her  for  her  lies. 

This  story  proves  the  constancy  of  a  Mother's  lov^e,  which  even  after  death 
will  still  protect  its  child.' 

^ASA-GORE 

LEGEND  AND  SONG  OF  THE  SKY-MAIDEN 

There  lived  in  the  sky  a  powerful  chief,  and  he  had  a  beautiful  daughter, 
the  Sky-Maiden.  Every  day  with  her  maiden  attendants  she  came  down  to 
earth  to  bathe  in  the  lake.     Each  maid  bore  in  her  hands  3  plume  which  wafted 

'See  "The  Mother  in  Africa,"  page  66. 


i;2  SONGS  AND    TALES 


her  to  the  ground  and  on  which  she  floated  up  again  to  the  sky.  So  beautiful 
was  the  Sky-Maiden  that  any  man  who  saw  her  as  she  came  to  earth  longed  to 
win  her  for  his  wife. 

Now,  each  day  when  the  maid  and  her  attendants  flew  down  to  the  lake, 
they  laid  aside  their  clothing  and  left  their  plumes  with  their  garments  on  the 
banks.  Often  the  young  men  hid  in  the  bush  near  the  lake  and  tried  to  steal 
the  plumes,  for  they  well  knew  that  if  they  could  seize  these,  the  maidens  could 
never  again  fly  back  to  the  sky.  But  the  maids,  who  dreaded  to  be  seen,  were 
quick  to  hear  the  approach  of  any  stranger,  and  at  the  first  faint  rustle  of  a  leaf 
they  would  rise  from  the  lake,  grasp  their  plumes  and  vanish  into  the  air.  But 
if  a  man  should  succeed  in  stealing  a  feather,  then  the  maiden  to  whom  it  belonged 
would  shake  her  "nthu'zwa"  (a  soft  musical-sounding  rattle  made  of  reeds)  and 
sing  this  song: 

{Literal  translation) 

Sam'du'mbi-we'-we',  ndekande',*  O  vouth,  I  entreat  thee,  I  pray, 

{Nyalala'I*)  '  (Heed  her  not!) 

Wo    chizwa'*  nthu'zwa  ya'nguyo-we',*  Hearken  now  to  my  nthu'zzva,  I  pray, 
ndekande', 

(Nyalala'I)  (Heed  her  not!) 

Sam'du'mbi-we'-we',  ndekande',  O  youth,  I  entreat  thee,  I  pray, 

{Nyalala'I)  (Heed  her  not!) 

Tongo  li'ngile-we',*  ndekande'.  Look  back,  look  back,  I  pray, 

{Nyalala'I)  (Heed  her  not!) 

Sam'du'mbi-we'-we',  ndekande',  O  youth,  I  entreat  thee,  I  pray, 

(Nyalala'I)  (Heed  her  not!) 

Mwana-we'*       ndo'da       ku'pinda-we',  Dear  Child,  I  would  go,  I  pray, 
ndekande', 

(Nyalala'I)  (Heed  her  not!) 

Sam'du'mbi-we'-we',  ndekande',  O  youth,  I  entreat  thee,  I  pray, 

(Nyalala'I)  (Heed  her  not!) 

Mwana-we'      wochi       li'ngila-we',  Dear  Child,  look  back,  I  pray, 
ndekande', 

(Nyalala'I)  (Heed  her  not!) 

Sam'dumbi-we'-we',  ndekande',  O  youth,  I  entreat  thee,  I  pray, 

(Nyalala'I)  (Heed  her  not!) 

Ndo'da'  kwenda-we',  ndekande'.  Let  me  go,  let  me  go,  I  pray. 

(Nyalala'I)   _  (Heed  her  not!) 

(Metrical  translation  to  fit  the  music) 

The  jVIaid:  0   youth,    I    entreat    thee,  I 
Solo  pray, 

Hearken  nozv,^ 
Chorus:    (Heed  her  not!) 

*ln  ordinary  speech  the  words  with  an  asterisk  are  accented  as  follows:    ndeka'nde,  nyala'la,  chiz'wa, 
tongolingi'lewe,  mwana'we,  kupi'ndawe. 

^The  maiden  and  the  chorus  chant  together  in  the  bracketed  phrases. 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT 53 

Solo:       Hearken  now  to  my  nthu'z-jja, 
I  pray, 
Chorus:    (Heed  her  not!) 

Solo:       0   youth,    I   entreat   thee,    1 
pray. 
Chorus:   (Heed  her  not!) 

Solo:       0  look  back,  0  look  back  now, 
I  pray, 
Chorus:    (Heed  her  not!) 

Solo:        0   youth,    I   entreat   thee,    I 
pray, 

Lovely  child,  \ 
Chorus:   (Heed  her  not!)  J 

Solo:       Let  me  go,  I  entreat  thee,  I 
pray, 
Chorus:    (Heed  her  not!) 

Solo:       0   youth,   I   entreat   thee,    I 
pray, 

Lovely  child, 
Chorus:   (Heed  her  not!) 

Solo:       0  look  back,  I  entreat  thee, 
I  pray, 
Chorus:   (Heed  her  not!) 

Solo:       0   youth,    I   entreat   thee,    I 
pray, 
Chorus:   (Heed  her  not!) 

Solo:       Release    me,    release    me,    I 
pray. 
Chorus:   (Heed  her  not!) 

If  the  youth  heeds  her  voice  and  looks  back — then  the  maiden  and  nthu  - 
ziva  are  gone,  and  there  is  nothing  to  be  seen.  For  at  this  first  backward  glance, 
the  plume  returns  to  the  maiden  and  instantly  she  mounts  to  the  sky. 

But  the  story  tells  of  one  youth  who  stole  the  plume  and,  strong  of  heart, 
never  looked  back.  And  so  the  maiden  had  to  stay  on  earth  and  the  youth  won 
her  love  and  took  her  for  his  wife.  After  that  the  maid  shared  with  her  husband 
her  power  to  fly  to  the  sky,  and  she  took  him  with  her  to  the  sky-land. 

This  story  means  that  if  a  man  sets  out  to  do  a  deed  he  must  persevere  till 
the  end  and  never  turn  back  till  he  has  achieved  his  aim. 


SONGS  AND  TALES  OF  THE  ZULU  TRIBE 

Natal,  South  Africa 

Recorded  from  the  Singing  and  the  Sayings 
of 
MADIKANE  CELE 


MADIKANE  CELE 


SONGS  AND  TALES  OF  THE  ZULU  TRIBE 

MADIKA'NE  QANDEYA'NE  CE'LE' 

Madika'ne  Qandeya'ne  Ce'le  is  of  royal  Zulu  blood,  for  his  mother  was  sister 
of  a  high  chieftain,  and  his  father  was  a  governor  of  rank  in  the  palace.  A  convert 
to  Christianity,  Ce'le's  father  went  as  a  native  missionary  to  his  own  people  into 
the  interior  of  pagan  Zululand,  where  Ce'le  grew  up.  But  the  father  was  not 
satisfied  with  what  Africa  could  teach  his  boy  and  he  wanted  Ce'le  to  seek  the 
larger  world  of  white  men  for  an  education:  it  was  to  America  that  the  African 
father  decided  to  send  his  son.  On  reaching  London,  Ce'le  was  so  desperately 
homesick  that  he  had  but  one  longing — to  go  back  at  once  to  Africa!  But  his 
ticket  to  America  had  been  bought,  and  there  was  nothing  for  the  boy  to  do  but 
go  on  to  those  unknown  shores  which  were  to  him  as  forbidding  in  their  m}'stery 
as  ever  the  jungle  seemed  to  a  European. 

The  first  months  in  the  United  States  were  difficult  and  bewildering,  for 
Ce'le  knew  no  English  and  was  alone  in  a  big,  strange  land.  But  it  was  not  long 
before  the  Zulu  boy  had  mastered  the  new  tongue,  which  he  spoke  with  a  slight 
but  most  alluring  accent,  and  his  career  at  Hampton  Institute  was  marked  by 
progress  and  great  personal  popularity.  The  gift  of  oratory,  which  seems  to  be 
a  talent  of  the  black  race,  was  especially  marked  in  Ce'le.  Tall  and  powerful, 
quiet  and  unassuming,  never  self-conscious,  but  always  self-possessed,  Ce'le  be- 
came a  brilliant  speaker  both  in  the  class-room  and  in  public  meetings.  His 
deep  earnestness  was  offset  by  flashes  of  humor,  and  his  low,  melodious  African 
voice  lent  to  his  oratory  a  peculiar  charm — the  charm  of  a  race  distinct,  and  of 
a  world  as  yet  unknown  to  most  of  us.  Through  this  tall  Zulu,  the  silent  millions 
of  Black  Africa  seemed  to  speak. 

Ce'le  has  gone  back  to  Zululand  to  preach  to  his  people  by  precept,  example 
and  industrial  education  Hampton's  gospel  of  "Work — for  character's  sake." 
His  aim  was  "to  found,  with  God's  help,  a  little  Hampton  among  the  Zulu  people." 

His  story  is  best  told  in  his  own  words,  contained  in  the  following  autobio- 
graphical sketch  which  was  prepared  by  Ce'le  when  a  student  at  Hampton  and 
delivered  by  him  at  meetings  held  in  the  interest  of  the  school.  Ce'le's  uncle,  a 
native  (called  throughout  Ce'le's  narrative  "Mr.  Du'be"),  who  had  studied  in 
America,  had  a  large  part,  as  will  be  seen,  in  shaping  the  boy's  destiny.  The 
autobiography  is  here  reprinted  by  the  courtesy  of  the  "Southern  Workman," 
a  monthly  magazine  devoted  to  race-interests  and  printed  at  Hampton  Institute, 
Hampton,  \'irginia. 

AN  AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH 

Down  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Africa,  along  the  coast  of  the  Indian  Ocean, 
there  lives  a  tribe  known  as  the  Zulus,  one  of  the  most  warlike  tribes  of  Africa, 

'For  the  pronunciation  of  Zulu  names  and  Zulu  words,  see  page  62, 

[57] 


58  SONGS   AND    TALES 


and  yet  very  kind  in  a  way.  There  you  will  find  my  birthplace;  but  what  date 
or  in  what  year  I  was  born,  I  cannot  tell,  and  no  one  can  tell,  as  people  there  do  not 
keep  the  ages  of  children  nor  of  grown  people.  We  all  live  just  as  long  as  we  can, 
and  die  when  we  can't  help  it. 

My  father  lived  in  this  tribe  as  a  governor  under  the  king  of  the  Zulus,  until 
white  missionaries  landed  there  and  he  became  civilized,  giving  up  his  position 
and  allowing  the  missionaries  to  instruct  him  in  the  word  of  God.  When  he 
became  a  civilized  man  I  was  just  born.  He  spent  six  years  with  the  mission- 
aries, after  which  he  went  back  to  work  among  his  own  people  as  a  missionary, 
where  he  is  to  this  day.  There  I  grew  up  as  most  Zulu  boys  do,  watching  my 
father's  herds  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  goats,  until  I  became  a  large  boy,  and  began 
to  join  other  boys  of  my  age  in  sports,  such  as  hunting,  playing  at  war  with  each 
other,  and  idling  away  all  of  the  time. 

With  such  habits  my  father  was  much  displeased,  for  out  of  me  he  expected 
to  make  something  real.  So  he  sent  me  to  the  missionaries  who  had  instructed 
him.  There  I  spent  two  years.  I  finished  what  they  could  afford  to  teach  me — 
only  a  blue  Zulu  speller.  Then  I  went  back  to  my  father;  he  was  well  pleased 
with  me  and  I  was  also  pleased  with  what  I  had  accomplished.  What  pleased 
my  father  especially  was  that  now  I  could  help  him.  The  missionaries  had  in- 
structed him  only  in  the  Zulu  Bible.  He  could  read  a  little  in  this  Bible  and  ex- 
plain its  meaning  to  grown-up  people,  but  the  children  were  left  alone.  So  with 
the  little  blue  Zulu-speller  learning  I  had,  I  was  able  to  teach  school  in  the  Zulu 
language  for  two  years. 

Shortly  after  that,  the  evil  spirit  (so  I  called  it)  caught  him;  he  became  dis- 
satisfied with  only  the  blue-speller  learning  I  had.  He  thought  to  himself  that 
I  must  have  a  little  more  education.  But  he  didn't  know  where  he  could  send 
me  to  be  educated,  and  I  was  pleased  with  that,  because  then  I  thought  the  life 
I  lived  was  the  best  on  earth.  He  tried  in  every  way  possible  to  find  a  place  where 
he  could  send  me.  Finally  he  learned  of  America  and  her  schools  through  the 
white  missionaries,  yet  he  knew  nothing  of  the  country  nor  of  the  language. 

While  he  was  wondering  how  he  could  learn  more  about  America,  something 
happened  which  pleased  him  greatly — that  was  the  return  to  Zululand  of  Rev. 
John  L.  Du'be,  my  uncle,  who  had  been  in  America  for  a  number  of  years.  Through 
Mr.  Du'be  my  father  was  soon  able  to  make  arrangements  for  me  to  go.  When 
I  found  that  he  had  succeeded  in  his  plans  I  was  very  sorry,  exceedingly  sorry. 
I  tried  every  way  I  knew  to  keep  him  from  sending  me  away  from  home,  but  when 
he  said  "go,"  I  had  to  go.  What  troubled  me  was  that  I  did  not  know  anybody  in 
America,  and  couldn't  speak  a  word  of  the  English  language,  and  I  was  but  a  boy, 
probably  about  seventeen  years  of  age.  When  my  father  found  that  I  was  really 
not  willing  to  go,  he  sent  me  to  Mr.  Du'be  and  had  him  talk  with  me.  But  he 
had  seen  him  first;  so  from  what  he  said  about  America  he  made  me  change  my 
mind,  and  I  decided  I  would  go. 

I  started  and  was  six  weeks  and  three  days  on  the  journey.  In  all  that  time 
no  one  said  a  word  to  me,  for  I  could  not  speak  their  language  and  they  did  not 
understand  the  Zulu  tongue.  I  landed  in  New  York,  where  some  friends'  of  the 
missionaries  took  care  of  me.  Soon  they  found  a  school  for  me  down  in  North. 
Carolina,  and  I  studied  there  about  five  years. 


FROM  THE  D.IRK  CONTINENT 


Two  of  my  teachers  in  that  school  were  Hampton  graduates.  We  used  to 
talk  about  Hampton.  They  told  me  about  it  until  I  could  imagine  what  Hamp- 
ton stood  for.  Then,  considering  the  condition  and  needs  of  my  country,  I  was 
persuaded  to  believe  that  if  I  could  have  Hampton's  training,  the  work  1  could 
do  among  my  people  in  Africa  would  be  so  great  that  the  world  would  never  forget 
it. 

So  I  went  to  Hampton  in  September,  1907.  I  was  there  only  a  short  time 
when  I  found  that  the  half  of  what  Hampton  is  has  never  been  told.  Three  years 
ago,  when  my  classmates  and  I  entered  the  Trade  School,  our  minds  were  empty 
of  mechanical  knowledge,  our  hands  were  unskilled.  The  carpenter  was  un- 
able to  plane  a  piece  of  wood,  or  even  saw  to  a  straight  line;  the  wheelwright  was 
unable  to  make  a  joint;  the  tailor  could  not  sew  a  button  on  a  coat.  But  day 
by  day  we  gained  efficiency,  and  in  May  we  received  our  trade  certificates.  To- 
day I  can  point  out  to  you  with  pride  the  work  of  the  carpenter,  and  of  the  wheel- 
wright, and  of  those  who  can  lay  a  pipe  so  that  water  is  found  wherever  it  is 
needed;  while  the  battalion,  in  well-made  uniforms,  shows  the  ability  of  the 
tailor. 

Now  we  stand  before  the  gateway  into  the  busy  life  of  the  world,  as  soldiers 
ready  to  march  forward  and.  to  fight  against  our  foes.  To  this  point  we  were 
not  brought  forward  on  flowery  beds  of  ease,  nor  did  we  come  traveling  on  the 
road  of  pleasure.  We  had  to  fight  our  way  through  difficulties.  When  dis- 
couragements have  come  to  us,  when  we  have  bent  beneath  the  burden  and  have 
almost  failed,  we  have  thought  how  little  has  been  accomplished  in  the  world 
by  men  who  have  given  up  the  fight,  and  how  much  by  those  who  have  persisted 
in  the  face  of  difficulties.  The  thought  of  General  Armstrong's'  persistency  in 
founding  and  building  the  Hampton  School,  his  courage  when  there  seemed 
nothing  to  encourage  him,  his  hard  struggle  with  little  money  to  work  with,  in 
order  that  we  as  students  might  enjoy  the  privileges  we  have  to-day — all  this 
has  helped  us,  and  we  have  been  able  to  go  forward  with  renewed  strength  and 
courage. 

The  lesson  that  we  have  learned  at  Hampton  is  not  only  to  see  how  many 
dollars  and  cents  a  day  will  come  to  us  at  our  trades,  or  to  use  our  trades  for  our- 
selves individually,  but  to  use  our  skill  and  knowledge  in  helping  others.  Yester- 
day we  were  responsible  for  ourselves  only,  now  we  are  responsible  for  every  hu- 
man being,  whether  black,  white,  or  red.  Such  responsibility  has  taken  hold 
upon  us  while  watching  our  leaders,  how  they  have  struggled  and  put  forth  every 
effort  that  we  might  rise  to  the  highest.  They  have  sacrificed  themselves  and 
their  pleasure  for  the  benefit  of  my  people  and  your  people.  Let  shame  and  dis- 
grace seize  any  young  man  who  could  witness  such  struggles  and  then  go  back 
home  and  there  sit  down  and  do  nothing. 

We  know  there  is  no  man  who  will  come  to  us  for  help  unless  we  possess  those 
qualities  by  which  he  will  be  drawn  to  us,  and  I  believe  there  is  no  place  on  earth 
better  than  Hampton  for  the  Indian  and  colored  man  to  develop  intellect,  morality 
and  Christianity — the  qualities  one  must  have. 

'For  biography  of  General  Armslrong  as  founder  of  Hampton  Institute,  see  "Samuel  Chapman 
Armstrong,"  by  Edith  Armstrong  Talbot,  Doubleday,  Page  &  Co.,  N.  Y.;  also  "Negro  Folk-Songs," 
Book  I,  Hampton  Series,  G.  Schirmer,  Publisher. 


6o  SONGS   AND    TALES 


Hampton  stands  for  intellectual  growth,  for  it  will  not  allow  a  young  man 
to  take  a  trade  without  going  to  school  and  studying  the  things  that  broaden  the 
mind.  Our  intellect  has  been  developed  in  the  shop  as  well  as  in  the  classroom. 
Our  instructors  have  held  us  right  to  the  mark  and  have  made  us  make  the  best 
use  of  our  thought.  Punctuality,  carefulness,  industry  and  honesty  are  some  of 
the  qualities  the  Trade  School  has  developed  in  us. 

The  spirit  of  Christianity,  shown  by  the  kindness  of  teachers  and  students, 
reaches  beyond  the  school  grounds,  and  meets  the  new  student  before  he  enters; 
this  kindness  changes  his  entire  life  and  he  is  kind  also.  It  goes  further  than  this, 
for  it  goes  with  him  when  he  leaves,  and  to-day  you  will  find  Hampton  students 
scattered  all  over  the  country  sowing  seeds  of  kindness,  and  helping  those  who 
cannot  help  themselves. 

I  hope  to  carry  these  seeds  to  those  forgotten  children  of  South  Africa  to 
whom  I  belong.  See  them  as  they  feel  their  way  through  dark  shadows  of  ignor- 
ance, not  knowing  where  they  are  going,  falling  down  before  false  gods,  trying  to 
find  the  right  one,  living  in  miserable  huts,  and  without  enjoyment  in  their  homes, 
and  you  will  know  why  I  am  glad  to  go  to  them  with  all  of  Hampton's  blessings. 

(Signed)  MADIKA'NE  QANDEYA'NE  CE'LE. 

Ce'le  married  at  Hampton  an  American  Negress,  a  graduate  of  the  school, 
and  returned  with  her  to  South  Africa  to  dedicate  their  lives  to  the  education  and  ' 
uplift  of  the  natives.  American  friends  had  promised  to  help  Ce'le  with  financial 
support  in  his  effort  to  establish  an  industrial  school  for  the  blacks  of  South 
Africa.  But  the  war  paralyzed  all  assistance  to  a  great  extent,  and  this  noble 
work  for  African  self-help  is  in  dire  need.  Here  follow  extracts  from  some  of 
Ce'le's  letters  to  Hampton: 

Ohiange  Indus.  School,  Phoenix  Station, 

Durban,  Natal,  So.  Africa. 

We  are  moving  on  nicely  here  with  work.  Little  by  little  we  advance.  This  school 
is  really  a  wonderful  school  in  which  to  plant  Hampton's  ideas  in  the  different  tribes  which 
gather  here  for  an  education.  By  different  tribes  I  mean  young  people  from  these  tribes. 
\Ve  have  students  from  as  far  down  as  Capetown,  as  far  up  as  Gassaland,  and  from  the 
eastern  coast  far  back  to  the  central  part.  ^^  e  have  three  young  men  from  right  in  the 
central  part  of  Africa.  The  success  of  this  school  means  that  almost  entire  South  Africa 
is  reached.  I  am  trying  my  very  best  to  have  the  shop  as  good  as  I  can  possibly  make  it. 
Every  quarter,  not  quarter  of  a  term,  but  quarter  of  a  year,  the  instructor  in  each  de- 
partment has  to  make  up  a  report  to  be  sent  to  the  Government.  Each  report  must 
come  to  me  to  be  signed,  and  then  I  have  to  make  a  report  of  the  trade  school  as  a  whole. 
This  shows  the  interest  the  Government  has  taken  in  our  school. 


I  received  both  letters  and  the  draft.  Now,  besides  thanking  you  for  sending  it,  I 
must  thank  you  also  for  promptness  in  sending  it.  If  it  were  not  for  this  kindness  of  our 
friends  really  I  don't  know  what  would  have  become  of  us  by  now.  We  met  a  dreadful 
time.  The  Africans  are  suffering  terribly  from  this  war.  Alay  God  look  upon  them! 
I  have  received  only  these  two  contributions  since  I  started  in  this  work. 


AFRICAN  TEXTILE  DESIGN 


FROM   THE  D.1RK  CONTINEXT 6i 

Things  are  very  hard  here  \et,  but  are  beginning  to  look  more  promising.  \\  e  have 
been  victorious  over  the  Germans,  who  have  been  fighting  here  in  Africa,  so  we  feel  some- 
what cheered,  because  we  feel  that  most  everything  will  come  down  to  the  regular  prices, 
especially  food  stuff. 


My  checks  are  a  little  longer  sometimes  coming,  but  I  tell  you  whenever  one  does  get 
here  it  certainly  does  bring  joy  to  myself  and  family.  It  is  our  only  hope;  without  it  I 
don't  know  really  what  would  become  of  us.  \'ou  see  the  South  of  Africa  has  changed  so 
from  the  way  it  was  when  I  was  a  bo\'. 


Some  old  people  are  not  ashamed  to  say  that  the  civilization  they  have  had  in  Africa 
for  ninety  years  has  not  helped  them  much  here  on  earth.  So  many  of  them  see  their 
mistakes  and  they  want  their  boys  to  get  trades  as  well  as  Christianity.  That  is  very 
encouraging.  Sometimes  I  really  spend  half  of  my  nights  thinking  what  I  can  do  to  have 
my  shop  so  that  it  will  be  a  model  to  these  natives  all  the  time.  I  tell  you,  my  friend,  if 
the  love  one  has  for  his  people  and  his  country  will  bring  about  the  success  that  is  needed, 
my  country  and  my  shop  are  all  right. 


You  know  why  food  is  so  scarce  now.  The  natives  used  to  plough,  but  now  the 
white  people  are  taking  all  the  best  land  for  themselves,  and  what  is  no  good  these  poor 
natives  get.  In  some  places  the  natives  are  not  allowed  to  buy  land.  Really  it  is  sinful 
to  see  how  these  white  people  treat  the  people  that  God  gave  this  land  to.  They  are 
being  driven  back  and  allowed  only  a  piece  of  land  big  enough  to  put  up  a-hut  ten  by  ten. 
If  the>-  have  ten  children  all  of  them  have  to  stay  in  this  same  room — mother,  father, 
children  and  visitors,  all  the  same. 


Hard  times  here  have  grown  worse  and  worse  until  we  do  not  know  what  is  going  to 
be  the  outcome  for  us. 

\o\\  will  be  surprised  to  know  that  from  the  effect  of  this  war  natives  are  dying  just 
like  little  chickens  out  in  the  rain.  Around  my  father's  home  where  there  are  so  many 
poor  heathen  it  is  a  common  thing  to  have  four  or  five  natives  pass  away  in  one  week. 

\  ou  know  the  natives  of  Africa  are  people  who  always  lived  on  a  simple  diet  because 
they  have  verj^  small  means.  To-day  the  war  has  caused  everything  to  go  very  high  in 
cost,  so  high  that  natives  cannot  get  it.  Now,  from  the  lack  of  proper  food  and  enough 
nourishment  in  their  bodies  they  are  having  a  stomach  trouble.  Persons  simply  report 
pain  in  the  stomach   and  in  two  or  three  days  they  pass  away.     That  is  the  way  they  go. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  get  food  here  now,  not  because  there  is  none,  simply  be- 
cause the  cost  is  too  great,  even  for  some  things  grown  here  in  Africa. 

Really  when  this  war  comes  to  an  end,  if  it  ever  does,  no  one  will  rejoice  more  than 
my  people.  We  certainly  have  suffered  terribly.  I  am  also  suffering  terribly  with  my 
shop.  This  term  I  have  been  bound  to  reduce  the  number  of  boys  in  the  shop.  I  man- 
age to  keep  it  going.  I  don't  think  I'll  be  able  to  do  much  new  work  this  term  as  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  get  iron.  I  have  to  do  a  great  deal  of  repair  work.  Our  shop  was 
certainly  progressing  nicely.  To-day  I  have  in  my  desk  four  orders  for  new  wagons,  but 
I  don't  see  how  I  can  fill  them.  Shops  and  all  other  similar  businesses  are  suffering  great 
losses  these  days  here. 

I  rhust  close  with  many  thanks.  Do  remember  the  Africans  in  your  prayers,  they 
are  needed  worse  than  ever. 


62  SONGS  AND  TALES 


NOTE  FOR  THE  PRONUNCIATION  OF  ZULU  TEXTS 

a  as  in  ''''father" 

b  has  two  sounds;  one,  as  in  English  and  the  other  as  in  hh. 

c  represents  the  ''''dental  click"  formed  by  pressing  the  tip  of  the  tongue  sharply 

against  the  front  teeth 

d  as  in  English 

e  as  in  "there" 

f  as  in  English 

g  always  hard 

h  as  in  English 

i  as  in  "ravine" 

j  as  in  English 

k  as  in  English 

1  as  in  English 

m  as  in  English 

n  as  in  English 

o  as  in     nor 

p  as  in  English 

q       represents  the  "palatal  click" 

r  not  used  in  these  texts 

s  as  in  "sail,"  never  the  z  sound 

t  as  in  English 

u  as  "oo"  in  "moon" 

V  as  in  English 

w  represents  the  semi-vowel   u   when  combined  in  sound  with  another  vowel 

following   it.     The   sound   produced  and    represented  by  this   letter  is 

consequently  not  so  full  and  broad  as  in  English 

X  not  used  in  these  texts 

y  as  in  English 

z  as  in  English 

Note: — The  above  is  only  a  slight  indication  of  the  subtleties  and  peculiarities  of  the 
Zulu  language.  As  this  book  is  intended  primarily  for  the  general  reader,  the  Zulu 
sounds  have  been  reduced  as  nearly  as  possible  to  letters  pronounced  as  in  English, 
and  the  explanations  of  the  "clicks"  have  been  simplilied  as  far  as  possible.  The 
student  is  referred,  however,  to  the  excellent  dictionaries  of  the  Zulu  language  com- 
piled by  missionaries  and  contained  in  the  New  York  Public  Library,  New  York 
City  and  the  Congressional  Library,  Washington,  D.  C.  The  various  sounds  of  the 
Zulu  clicks  are  produced  by  suction;  the  c  click  is  formed  by  pressing  the  tip  of  the 
tongue  sharply  against  the  front  teeth  in  t  position;  the  g  click  is  formed  by  striking 
the  sides  of  the  tongue  sharply  against  the  cheeks  as  in  "clucking"  to  a  horse;  the 
most  peculiar  "click"  consists  in  curling  the  tongue  backward  and  striking  it  against 
the  roof  of  the  mouth — all  these  sounds  are  impossible  of  transcription  according  to 
the  English  use  of  written  characters,  and  therefore  it  has  been  deemed  wiser,  owing 
to  the  nature  of  this  book,  to  avoid  elaborate  indications  and  to  offer  merely  a  few  gen- 
eral symbols.    Clicks  are  generally  indicated  by  the  sign  ^  above  a  letter,  as  in  "Ce'le." 


FROM   THE  DARK  CONTINENT  63 

IGA'MA  LE  'MPI 

SONG  OF  WAR 

Among  the  oldest  traditional  songs  of  the  Zulus  are  the  war-songs,  which  are 
the  rhost  sacred  songs,  composed  by  warriors  and  leading  men.  They  are  very 
ancient,  there  are  not  many  of  them,  and  their  meaning  is  always  the  same.  Of 
these  songs  there  are  two  kinds:  first,  those  that  are  sung  only  when  ordered 
by  the  King  on  special  occasions,  such  as  the  inauguration  of  the  King  or  the 
preparation  for  battle;  second,  those  sung  by  the  people  when  expressing  their 
loyalty  to  the  King  and  their  hatred  of  the  enemy. 

To  the  Zulus  their  King  stands  first,  above  all  beings  and  revered  beyond 
all  else,  even  though  he  is  not  actually  worshipped.  Few  men  may  talk  to  the 
King.  Only  the  Governors,  the  "Indunas,"  or  "Iziinduna,"  men  of  very  high 
rank,  may  be  admitted  to  the  royal  presence.  If  an  ordinary  man  wishes  to  peti- 
tion the  King,  he  must  stand  outside  the  palace  and  offer  prayers  and  thanks 
to  the  King,  praising  him  aloud  in  a  long  eulogy.  Then  the  Governor  stationed 
within  the  King's  palace  comes  out  and  listens  to  the  man's  petition:  but  before 
even  the  Governor  may  reenter  the  palace  and  approach  the  King  again,  he  top 
must  stand  and  make  a  long  eulogy  and  prayer. 

[To  the  white  man,  the  definiteness  of  custom,  the  formality  and  the  dignity 
of  reverence  in  primitive  life,  are  often  a  surprise.  Nor  is  he  always  able  to 
understand  the  wealth  of  symbolism  through  which  simpler  men  enact  a  sort  of 
nature-poetry  in  their  ceremonies.] 

Like  many  African  tribes  the  Zulus  are  a  pastoral  people  whose  wealth  is 
counted  in  cattle.  Yet  in  old  times  they  were  known  and  dreaded  for  their  ag- 
gressive warfare,  and  the  terrible  Warrior-King  Tsha'ka  (or  Chaka),  who  extended 
the  might  of  the  Zulus  over  nearly  the  whole  lower  half  of  the  Continent,  ranks 
with  the  great  generals  of  the  world.  His  warriors  were  condemned  by  the 
severity  of  their  physical  training  to  remain  unwed  that  they  might  be  without 
all  tender  ties,  and  they  were  always  kept  in  perfect  condition  for  battle;  the 
merciless  infliction  of  the  death-penalty  for  almost  every  offence  made  discipline 
fierce  and  absolute.'  The  white  man  is  apt  to  think  of  the  black  man  as  a  yoked 
and  subject  being.  But  when  first  encountered  by  the  British,  the  Zulus  were 
a  strong  and  proudly  militant  people  whose  highly  trained  armies  were  the  pride 
and  glory  of  their  kings.  They  were  at  the  summit  of  their  power  under  Tsha'ka 
and  his  successors  early  in  the  nineteenth  century  when  .European  colonization 
began  to  press  ominously  upon  the  African  tribes.     It  can  not  be  forgotten  how, 

'In  his  valuable  history  of  .-Vfrican  races,  entitled  "The  Negro,"  Dr.  W.  E.  B.  Du  Bois  has  this  to  say  of 
Tsha'ka's  hosts:  "He  had  organized  a  military  system,  not  a  new  one  by  any  means,  but  one  of  vvhich  we 
hear  rumors  back  in  the  lake  regions  in  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries.  McDonald  says.  'There 
has  probably  never  been  a  more  perfect  system  of  discipline  than  that  by  which  Chaka  ruled  his  army  and 
kingdom.  At  a  review  an  order  might  be  given  in  the  most  unexpected  manner,  which  meant  death  to 
hundreds.  If  the  regime«t  hesitated  or  dared  to  remonstrate,  so  perfect  was  the  discipline  and  so  great  the 
jealousy  that  another  was  ready  to  cut  them  down.  A  warrior  returning  from  battle  without  his  arms  was 
put  to  death  without  a  trial.  A  general  returning  uns  uccessful  in  the  main  purpose  of  his  expedition  shared 
the  same  fate.  Whoever  displeased  the  king  was  immediately  e.xecuted.  The  traditional  courts  practi- 
cally ceased  to  exist  so  far  as  the  will  and  action  of  the  tyrant  were  concerned.'  " 

Tsha'ka  has  been  called — perhaps  not  inappropriately — "The  Napoleon  of  Black  Africa."       Under 
him,  war  and  conquest  were  the  aim  of  Zulu  life. 


64 SOXGS   AND    TALES 


with  only  the  assegai  (the  short  native  javelin)  and  the  shield,  the  naked  hosts 
kept  at  bay  the  firearms  of  the  English.  But  in  1879  the  inevitable  superiority  of 
machine  guns  finally  broke  down  native  resistance.  Zululand  became  a  British 
protectorate.  But  the  black  man  yielded  neither  territory  nor  independence  until 
he  had  exhausted  all  his  forces  and  had  seen  with  despair  the  failure  of  that 
supernatural  aid  in  which  he  had  desperately  believed. 

In  olden  times  the  Zulus  fought  among  other  tribes  for  two  main  reasons: 
to  win  renown  for  a  new  King  or  to  add  to  the  glory  of  an  old  one.  The  victors 
seized  the  cattle  of  their  foes  and  also  took  a  few  of  the  handsomest  maidens  for 
the  King,  who  bestowed  some  of  these  upon  his  nobles.  Peace  was  then  made, 
the  women  captives  remaining  true  to  the  victors;  and  the  whole  tribe  treated 
the  prisoners  thenceforward  as  well  as  their  own  women. 

The  following  war-song  may  be  sung  before  a  battle,  and  also  at  the  in- 
auguration of  a  King  when  the  people  express  their  loyalty  and  their  readiness  to 
fight  for  the  ruler.  As  a  prelude  to  battle,  it  is  sung  to  rouse  in  the  warriors  the 
frenzy  of  war,  and  it  is  accompanied  by  the  war-dance  with  its  defiant  and 
terrifying  gestures. 

To  understand  the  meaning  of  the  song,  one  must  be  familiar  with  the 
native  figures  of  speech.  In  Zululand  there  are  deep  gullies,  sometimes  dry, 
sometimes  with  water  at  the  bottom;'  being  sudden  rifts  in  the  ground,  they  are 
almost  imperceptible  until  one  comes  close  upon  them,  so  that  a  man  in  the  heat 
of  fighting,  might  easily  step  over  the  brink  and  fall  into  the  gully.  Hence  the 
phrase  in  the  first  verse  of  the  song:  "Do  I  fear  to  fall  over  the  gully-wall.^"  which 
means  to  die  the  death  of  a  brave  man.  For  the  enemy  is  likened  to  the  gaping 
rift  wherein  the  warrior  meets  his  end.  "To  die  in  the  man's  pit,"  even  as  an 
animal  walks  into  the  pit  of  the  hunter,  means  to  die  in  battle.  The  gully-wall 
is  indeed  a  powerful  bit  of  native  imagery,  vividly  expressing  the  violent  con- 
trast of  standing  at  one  moment  full  of  life  and  the  throbbing  lust  of  battle,  and 
falling  the  next  instant  over  the  sudden  bank  into  the  death-chasm. 

The  expression  "Are  we  seen  by  strangers.'"  means  that  other  tribes  or 
hostile  people  are  watching  in  fear  and  dread.  The  line  "We  shall  capture  the 
distant  one,  yea,  King,"  or  "yea,  the  King,"  is  a  little  obscure.  It  may  mean 
that  the  warriors  will  capture  the  enemy-king,  or  it  may  be  an  assurance  to  their 
own  King.  The  Zulu  who  explained  the  song  said  that  the  words  were  a  defiant 
vaunting  of  Zulu  prowess,  declaring:  "We  will  take  not  only  you,  agaijist  whom 
we  are  now  warring,  but  all  who  presume  to  trouble  us!" 

The  "Child  of  the  .King"  is  the  ruler  now  in  power,  for  every  king  is  a  royal 
offspring,  and  the  expression  signifies  the  long  line  of  regal  descent.  It  is  best 
translated  "The  Child  of  Kings."  However,  any  English  rendering  of  this 
African  poem,  which  is  quite  perfect  in  form  and  firm  of  outline,  can  be  at  best 
but  a  mere  approximation;  for  it  cannot  reproduce  the  even  rhythm  of  the  original 
lines,  which  are  not  only  sonorous,  but  highly  musical  in  flow  and  emphasis — a 
complete  poem  in  every  sense. 

So  far  as  the  music  itself  is  concerned,  however,  it  is  more  a  dramatic  in- 
tonation of  the  verses  than  a  song.     There  are  no  actual  time-values  for  the  notes 


'Probably  like  the  canyons  or  the  arroyos  of  the  Southwestern  U.  S. 


FROM   THE  DARK  CONTINENT 65 

and  bars  into  which  the  recorder  must  cast  these  fluent  vocal  figures.  It  has 
seemed  most  appropriate,  therefore,  to  make  the  musical  bars  correspond  to  the 
lines  of  the  verses.  The  song  is  declaimed  with  the  greatest  possible  freedom, 
like  an  extemporization,  full  of  excitement  and  passion.  In  the  second  verse, 
which  intensifies  the  first  and  rises  to  a  climax  of  emotion,  the  warriors  are  sup- 
posed to  draw  nearer  to  the  enemy,  and  the  song  grows  faster  as  the  war-dance 
raises  clouds  of  dust.  For  the  warriors  personify  the  lowering  storm,  and  the 
unit}'  of  song,  dance  and  gesture  is  in  realit}'  the  raw  material  from  which  is 
fashioned  primitive  drama. 

The  cry  "Awu-ye'lelema'ma"  ("Woe!"),  rising  from  many  throats,  rever- 
berates through  the  oncoming  ranks  of  warrior-dancers  at  first  like  muttering 
thunder,  then  with  loud  peals  of  threatening  anger  as  the  singers  advance,  their 
black  forms  dim  and  terrible,  half  hidden  in  the  swirls  of  dust  which  circle  around 
them  and  rise  high  above  their  heads.  Likening  themselves  to  the  might  and  fury 
of  the  thunderstorm,  the  dancers  shake  their  assegais  that  these  may  glitter  like 
shafts  of  lightning  and  strike  terror  to  their  foes,  while  the  thud  of  feet  intensifies 
the  rhythmic  power  of  the  song  which  seems  indeed  like  the  roar  of  the  storm- 
wind. 

Seen  near  to,  the  individual  dancer  is  the  embodiment  of  terrifying  wrath. 
His  black  eyes  roll;  the  sudden  flashes  of  white  eyeballs  and  white  teeth  are 
high-lights  in  the  dark  rage  of  his  face.  His  naked  form,  polished  like  ebony,' 
shines  with  the  spring  of  lithe  and  powerful  muscles.  The  hide  of  a  leopard  or  of 
an  ox,  or  perhaps  a  girdle  decked  with  drooping  feathers — these  are  his  sole 
garments.  But  ornaments,  fashioned  with  rare  artistry  and  skill,  give  flecks  of 
color  to  the  lustre  of  his  blue-black  skin.  Plumes  crest  the  crisp  wool  of  his 
hair;  anklets  clank  upon  his  dancing  feet;  and  metal  bracelets  bind  the  swell  of 
his  sinewy  arms.  The  Zulus  are  among  the  tallest  people  in  the  world,*  and 
their  magnificent  physical  development  gives  to  their  war-dance  the  swift  agility 
of  the  panther.  A  long  narrow  shield,  beautiful  in  native  craftsmanship,  protects 
the  body  from  breast  to  knee  and  is  held  in  one  hand;  the  other  brandishes  the 
assegai,  which  the  Zulus  thrust  and  hurl  with  such  deadly  skill  that  they  may 
well  liken  themselves  to  the  striking  lightning. 

This  war-drama,  performed  on  occasions  of  great  tribal  importance,  seems 
a  poetic  symbol  of  the  Zulu  people  personified  by  their  warriors,  who,  like  a 
veritable  tempest,  swept  South  Africa,'  subjugating  other  tribes  to  their  military 
dominance  and  helping  to  spread  the  Bantu  tongues*  from  coast  to  coast  and 
from  Cape  to  Equator. 

This  song  is  very  old;  it  was  sung  before  ever  a  white  invader  trod  the 
land  so  bravely  defended  by  a  fearless  race.  It  is  still  sung  as  a  ceremonial 
tribal   song. 


'The  Zulu  youths  carry  in  their  girdles  small  gourd  flasks  containing  a  grease  made  of  native  butter. 
With  this  they  polish  their  bodies,  even  as  did  the  Greeks.  "And  when  the  sun  shines  on  them,  they  are 
beautiful  indeed,"  declare  the  Zulus. 

^For  description  of  Zulus  see  "The  Negro,"  bv  W.  E.  B.  Du  Bois,  published  bv  Henry  Holt  &  Co. 
N.  Y.  (page  96). 

'For  Zulu  conquest  of  the  Xdau  people  of  Portuguese  East  Africa,  see  page  28. 

*Ba'ntu  languages,  see  pages  xiii,  xv. 


66  SOXGS   JND    TALES 


{Literal  translation) 
Se'nge  sa'ba   naku'pi  we'   ma-ko'si?  Fear  I  aught,  ye  hostile  Kings? 

Se'nge  sa'ba  ukuwe'la  odonge'ni?  Fear  I  to  faU  o'er  the  Gully-Wall? 

Ti'na  si'ya  hlu'shwa  nga'bezl'zwe  na'?       Are  we  troubled  by  Strangers? 

Awu-ye'lelema'ma!  Awu-ye'lelema'ma!  (Woe!) 

Ye'ka  inga'ne  enca'ne  ye  nkos'!  Trouble  not  the  Child  of  Kings! 

Se'si  bon'wa  nga'bezizwe  na'?  Are  we  watched  by  Strangers? 

Li'zo  du'ma  li  muta'te,  Our  lightning  shall  strike  them  captive, 

Nose  ku'de  pe'la  ye  nko'si:  Even  the  Distant  One,  yea,  their  King: 

Awu-ye'lelema'ma!  Awu-ye'lelema'ma!  (Woe!) 

Ye'ka  inga'ne  enca'ne  ye  nkos'!  Trouble  not  the  Child  of  Kings! 

Note.  It  has  not  been  possible  to  make  a  metrical  translation  that  would 
exacth"  fit  the  African  rhythm  without  losing  the  directness,  the  austere  vigor 
and  the  sombre  dignity  of  this  song — nevertheless,  a  singing  version,  matching 
the  rhythmic  values  of  the  Zulu  poem,  had  to   be  devised  and  is  here  offered: 

{Metrical  translatio?i) 
Fear  I   aught,   what  fear  I,  ye  hostile  Kings? 
Fear  I  aught,  fear  I  the  Gully- Wall? 
And  shall  we  be  troubled  by  these  hostile  strangers? 

Awu-ye'lelema'ma! 
Trouble  not  ye  the  Child  of  Kings! 

Are  we  watched  by  enemies  and  strangers? 
Then  our  lightning  shall  strike  them, 
Strike  and  take  them  captive,  yea,  King! 

Awu-ye'lelema'ma ! 
Trouble  not  ye  the  Child  of  Kings! 

IGA'MA  LA  BANTWA'NA 

SONG  OF  CHILDREN 

(Lullaby) 

Among  no  people,  perhaps,  is  the  mother  more  important  in  the  affections 
of  the  children  than  with  the  Africans.'  Naturally  emotional,  the  black  race  is 
demonstrative  as  well,  and  the  love  of  the  African  mother  for  her  child  is  as  strong 
as  is  the  native  feeling  of  dependence  upon  her  whose  affections  are  unchanging. 
The  love  of  a  wife  may  alter,  but  never  that  of  a  mother. 

Like  the  American  Indian,  the  African  carries  her  baby  on  her  back  in  order 
that  her  ever  busy  hands  may  be  free  for  their  manifold  tasks.  The  child  is  thus 
the  almost  constant  companion  of  the  mother,  who  rarely  leaves  it  unless  she  must 
go  a  long  distance,  perhaps  to  labor  in  the  fields  or  to  gather  fruit  or  berries. 

In  his  book-  "Missionary  Story-Sketches  and  Folk-Lore  from  Africa,"  the 
Rev.  Alexander  P.  Camphor  says:   "It  is  thought  by  those  who  do  not  know  the 

'For  the  place  of  the  mother  in  .African  affections  see  pages  xxiii,  21,  29. 

^Published  by  Jennings  &  Graham,  Cincinnati;    Eaton  &  Mains,  New  York.      Page  114. 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT 67 

Africans  that  there  is  nOt  much  affection  among  them.  This  is  not  correct,  as 
the  close  observer  will  find  that  there  is  a  tender  relation  existing,  especially  be- 
tween mother  and  children.  We  witnessed  scenes  that  were  pathetic  and  touch- 
ing when  parents  had  been  separated  from  their  children  and  were  united  again. 
Alothers  take  their  children  in  their  arms  and  lavish  upon  them  the  same  affection 
that  a  civilized  mother  would." 

The  same  author  tells  elsewhere  (page  18)  how  an  African  boy  who  had 
been  left  at  the  mission  by  his  father  as  a  child  of  four  to  be  educated  in  the  "God- 
Way,"  was  sent  back  years  later,  a  grown  lad  of  sixteen,  to  see  his  mother.  The 
woman  was  so  overcome  with  joy  that,  to  the  boy's  embarrassment,  she  insisted 
on  lifting  him  on  her  back  and  carrying  him  through  the  village  to  show  all  her 
people  that  her  very  own  child,  her  baby,  had  returned  to  her — another  instance 
of  the  unconscious  poetry  of  nature-people  and  the  powerful  part  that  symbol, 
and  the  personal,  incorporate  dramatization  of  symbol,  plays  in  the  life-expression 
of  primitive  races. 

In  the  same  book  (page  313)  is  told  another  little  tale  of  an  African  mother 
who  found  at  the  mission  her  only  child  whom  s.he  had  mourned  as  lost.  Sitting 
on  the  floor,  her  boy  in  her  arms,  the  poor  woman  clasped  the  mfssionary's  foot  and 
laid  her  tear-wet  cheeks  against  it  while  she  spoke  her  thanks.  Quick,  demonstra- 
tive afTection;  and,  when  affection  is  rooted,  a  rare  devotion,  faithful  and  loyal: — - 
these  traits  make  the  richer  side  of  the  nature  of  the  pure-blooded  African,  whether 
found  in  the  Negro  of  the  United  States  or  in  the  native  of  the  Dark  Continent. 

The  following  lullaby  is  a  soothing  little  song  very  commonly  used  to  put 
Zulu  babies  to  sleep.  The  words  assume  that  a  group  of  natives  has  set  out  across 
the  mountains,  among  them  a  mother  who  has  been  obliged  to  leave  her  baby  in 
the  care  of  another  woman.  The  little  one  cries,  and  the  woman  quiets  it,  singing 
that  mother  will  soon  return,  bringing  "something  pretty"  for  baby — fruit  or 
bright  berries.  Perhaps  it  is  a  grandmother,  an  aunt,  or  maybe  another  mother 
in  the  polygamous  Zulu  household,  who  croons  this  song.  Though  the  tune  has 
no  strongly  marked  native  characteristics,  it  has  a  certain  melodic  grace,  and  its 
gentle  rocking  rhythm  is  typical  of  lullabies  the  world  over.  Like  most  of  the 
Zulu  songs  in  this  collection,  this  one  is  offered  less  for  its  musical  value  than  for 
its  glimpse  into  an  intimately  human  side  of  African  life. 

The  poem  is  absolutely  even  in  rhythm,  definite  in  form,  and  melodious  of 
line.  As  the  literal  translation  fails  to  give  the  deep  sense  of  music  that  under- 
lies most  African  song-poems,  a  metrical  translation,  reproducing  the  original 
African  rhythms,  is  added. 

{Metrical  translation  which  corresponds 
exactly  to  the  rhythmic  accents  and 
the  length  of  line  in  the  origi- 
nal African  poem) 

O  tu'la,  mntwa'na,  O  tu'la,  O  hush  thee,  baby,  O  hush   thee; 

Unyo'ko  akamu'ko  Thy  mother  is  not  with  thee, 

Use'le  ezintabe'ni,  She  tarried  in   the  mountains, 

Uhlu'shwa  izigwe'gwe, —  The  zig-zag  trail  hath  held  her, — 
Izva' I  Izva' ! 


6S  SONGS  AND  TALES 


O  tu'la,  mntwa'na,  O  tu'la,  O  hush  thee,  baby,  O  hush  thee; 

Unyo'ko  u-zezobu'ya,  Thy  mother  soon  is  coming, 

Akupate'ie  in'to  en'hle, —  She'll  bring  thee  prettv  berries,- 
Izva!  'la-a'! 


f 


(Literal  translation) 

O  hush,  child,  O  hush; 
Thy  mother  is  not  here, 
She  tarried  in  the  mountains, 
Troubled  by  the  zig-zag  trail, — 

hca'! 

O  hush,  child,  O  hush; 
Thy  mother  will  return. 
She  will  bring  thee  something  pretty,- 

Izca'f 


DANCE-SONGS 

It  has  been  said  that  "when  the  moon  is  full,  all  Africa  dances."  What  a 
wealth  of  tropical  feeling  pours  from  this  phrase!  With  a  people  whose  emotions 
are  strong  and  elemental,  and  in  whom  the  sense  of  rhythm  and"  the  love  of  melody 
are  so  highly  developed,  the  dance,  which  in  primitive  humanity  is  always  close- 
linked  with  music,  must  be  of  primal  necessity  as  an  outlet  for  that  spontaneous 
and  emotional  self-expression  which  is  urgent  in  the  blood  of  the  black  race. 

Among  the  Zulus  there  are  many  social  dances;  when  the  people,  especially 
the  young,  gather  for  amusement,  it  is  with  dance  and  music  that  they  play.  A 
group  of  singers  forms  a  circle  and  accompanies  a  chanted  song  with  rhythmic 
hand-clapping.  The  Zulus  say  that  the  rhythm  forms  a  musical  basis  for  the  steps 
of  the  dance  and  indicates  the  movements  with  such  exactness  that  the  dancers 
cannot  fail  to  catch  the  step  as  soon  as  they  hear  the  song  and  the  clapping.' 
Indeed,  the  music  and  the  dance  are  really  one. 

Within  the  circle  of  singers  move  the  dancers,  one  or  two,  or  sometimes  three 
at  a  time,  but  rarely  more  than  three.  If  the  dance  be  in  a  hut,  the  singers  sit; 
but  if  held  in  the  larger  freedom  of  the  open  air,  the  chorus  stands.  And  every- 
thing is  rhythm,  for  everybody  sways  with  the  beat  of  the  song,  though  the  singers 
do  not  actually  dance,  nor  do  the  dancers  sing;  for  those  who  are  treading  all  sorts 
of  intricate  steps  leave  the  making  of  music  to  the  choir. 

The  songs  for  social  dancing  often  have  love  for  their  theme;  they  are  not 
traditional,  and  every  generation  has  its  own  songs.  For  dance-songs — like  love 
itself,  and  youth,  and  the  full  moon — are  constantly  springing  into  life  and  then 
withering  away  into  oblivion.  Often  they  live  but  a  year  or  two,  and  new  songs 
quickly  replace  the  old  which  are  soon  forgotten.  Such  songs  are  never  ceremo- 
nial, but  popular  in  the  sense  that  they  are  the  informal  outpourings  of  the  people, 
or  their  village  bards. 

'For  peculiarities  of  African  hand-clapping,  see  pages  xxi,  70,  100,  138. 


FROM   THE  D.IRK  CONTINENT 69 

At  a  social  gathering,  one  man  leads  the  singing  throughout  the  festivities. 
Although  there  may  be  men  present  who  are  the  composers  of  some  of  the  songs, 
these  nev^er  infringe  on  the  leadership  of  the  one  chosen  for  that  task,  but  are 
content  with  their  place  in  the  chorus.'  Among  the  Zulus,  there  are  in  each 
village  men  who  are  especially  gifted  in  the  making  of  songs,  and  these  bards,  as 
well  as  the  leaders,  are  often  rewarded  with  presents  after  the  dance. 

The  two  following  dance-songs  are  sung  in  pagan  Africa  and  are  entirely 
characteristic  so  far  as  the  poems  are  concerned.  But  though  they  are  typically 
African  in  sentiment  and  origin,  their  music  proves  that  not  with  firearms  alone 
has  the  European  conquered  the  Zulu;  in  no  spot  is  the  African  more  vulnerable 
than  in  his  keen  susceptibility  to  music.  Even  where  the  Gospel  may  fail  of 
converts,  the  tunes  of  missionaries  and  white  settlers  penetrate  bush  and  jungle, 
carried  in  the  quick,  retentive  memory  of  a  people  with  whom  music  is  far  more 
contagious  than  thought.  Let  the  African  but  hear  a  melody,  and  he  possesses 
it.  But  even  as  the  American  Indian,  when  presented  by  the  white  man  with  a 
string  of  beads,  instantly  restrings  it  in  a  pattern  of  his  own  imagining,  so  the 
African  recasts  the  European  melody  in  native  mould.  Though  the  black  man 
copies,  he  recreates  as  well. 

IGA'MA  LO  KUSI'NA 

DANCE-SONG 
I 

The  two  following  dance-songs  sing  of  love;  but  to  understand  the  words,  one 
must  know  something  of  the  customs  of  the  Zulu  youth  in  wooing. 

The  Zulus  may  never  marry  any  one  even  remotely  descended  from  the 
same  ancestor;  the  intermarriage  of  even  the  most  distant  blood-relatives  is 
strictly  forbidden.^  So,  when  a  youth  comes  of  age,  he  often  journeys  to  some 
other  village  to  find  a  wife.  Sometimes  he  travels — on  foot  of  course — two  or 
three  days.  On  reaching  another  settlement,  if  he  hears  of  a  girl  who  he  thinks 
will  suit  him,  or  catches  a  glimpse  of  one  who  pleases  him,  he  lingers  about 
trying  to  see  her,  and  watches  and  follows  her  until  she  goes  into  some  hut.  He 
now  knows  where  he  may  find  her  again,  and  so  perhaps  he  returns  to  his  home 
to  think  it  all  over,  after  this  his  first  seeking.  If  he  decides  that  he  wants  to 
know  more  of  the  maid,  he  travels  again  to  her  clan,  finds  out  her  name  and 
family  and  just  where  she  lives.  Then,  if  he  feels  that  he  really  loves  her  and 
wants  her  for  his  wife,  he  goes  into  the  forest,  where  he  knows  that  she  has  gone 
to  draw  water  or  to  gather  fruit  or  berries;  and  now,  unseen  by  her,  he  sings 
his  love-song,  knowing  that  she  will  hear.  If  the  maiden  wishes  to  reply,  she 
composes  and  sings  an  answering  song  so  that  her  voice  will  tell  him  where  she  is, 
and  that  she  will  listen  to  him.  Then  the  lover  composes  such  a  song  as  this  that 
follows,  to  describe  how  he  has  been  watching  and  waiting  for  her. 

'The  song-leader  is  often  an  important  feature  of  the  Negro  chorus  in  America.  See  "Negro  Folk- 
Songs,"  Hampton  Series,  published  by  G.  Schirmer,  New  York. 

^Compare  with  the  customs  of  the  American  Indians.  Many  primitive  peoples  have  a  strict  eugenic 
code,  and  my  Zulu  informant  was  much  shocked  at  the  eugenic  carelessness  of  the  white  race.  See  also 
page  29. 


70  SONGS  AND    TALES 


The  quality  of  the  Zulu  voice,  and  the  manner  of  singing,  make  this  song 
more  characteristic  when  heard  than  when  seen  on  the  written  page.  With  re- 
gard to  the  music,  there  is  no  limit  to  the  number  of  times  that  the  different 
phrases  may  be  sung,  nor  is  there  any  set  sequence.  Said  the  Zulu  singer,  "We 
go  up  to  the  high  part  just  whenever  we  feel  like  it,  and  we  fit  the  low  part  in  as 
we  go  along,  and  we  repeat  when  we  want  to,  and  we  clap  as  we  feel." 

Ce'le  explained  that  the  impulse  to  "go  up  high"  or  "go  down  low"  was  con- 
tagious and  that  all  the  singers  would  extemporize,  moved  by  a  common  feeling. 
The  singers  sing  as  long  as  they  choose  and  stop  anywhere  they  like  in  the  song, 
not  necessarily  ending  on  the  phrases  indicated  in  this  notation,  as  they  may 
never  sing  the  song  twice  alike  in  all  details.  However,  the  song  usually  ends  on 
long-drawn  tones  as  though  dying  away. 

The  tune  is  a  melodious  little  "catch,"  sung  over  and  over  until  the  chorus 
tires  and  breaks  into  a  new  song.  The  hand-clapping  lends  some  variety  to 
the  many  repetitions,  and  the  rhythm  has  a  certain  dynamic  quality  that 
gives  life  to  the  song,  for  as  the  voice  goes  up,  the  clapping  becomes  louder  and  the 
beats  quicker;  as  the  voice  sinks,  the  clapping  dies  down  and  grows  softer  and 
slower.  So  as  the  different  parts  rise  alternately  above  each  other,  weaving 
their  melody  in  and  out,  the  interplay  of  hand-claps  swells  and  dies  away,  and 
the  effect  is  thus  almost  like  that  of  incoming  waves,  rushing  in  crescendo  to  the 
shore,  then  ebbing  away  while  the  next  wave,  overlapping,  booms  across  the  first. 
The  song  has  no  particular  melodic  value;  its  interest  lies  in  the  rhythmic 
embellishment  which  gives  it  character. 

{Metrical  translation   to  fit  the  original 
African  rhythms) 

Be'ngi  le'le  egqume'ni,  r-        On  the  hillside  I  slumbered, 

Be'ngi  lele  ngi,  On  the  hillside, 

Be'ngi  le'le  egqume'ni,  On   the   hillside   I   slumbered, 

Be'ngi  lele  ngi.  On  the  hillside, 

Be'ngi  le'le  egqume'ni,  On   the  hillside   I   slumbered, 

Be'ngi  le'le  ezizwe'ni  On  the  hillside  'mid  strangers, 
Nga  ze'nga  mu  bo'na  Till  I  saw 

S'ba'li:  Mybelov'd: 

U-be'ngi  qwe'ba!  She  beckoned  me! 

{Literal  translation) 


I  slept  on  the  hillside, 

I  slept, 
I  slept  on  the  hillside, 
I  slept, 
I  slept  on  the  hillside, 
I  slept  among  strangers, 
Till  I  saw 

My  belov'd: 
She  beckoned  mel 


FROM   THE  DARK  CONTINENT 


II 

The  lover  has  talked  with  his  maiden  and  has  almost  won  her  love.  But 
she  has  heard  something  about  him  that  she  does  not  like,  and  for  that  one  thing 
she  holds  him  back  and  will  not  give  him  her  love.  He  has  perhaps  been  wooing 
her  for  years,  but  only  this  year  has  he  found  out  that  it  is  because  of  this  one 
thing  that  she  has  withheld  herself  from  him. 

{Metrical  and  literal  translation) 

Dubul'!  Shout! 

U'ngi  bambe'le  i'nto  i'nye —  She  kept  me  waiting,  for  one  thing— 

U-be'ngi  bambe'le  i'nto  i'nye  She  kept  me  waiting,  for  one  thing 

Nonya'ka,  Till  this  year, 

Awu-ye'lelema'ma,  nonya'ka!  Awu-ye'lelema'ma — till   this   year! 

Ube'ngi  bambe'le  i'nto  i'nye —  She  kept  me  waiting,  for  one  thing — 

U-be'ngi  bambe'le  i'nto  i'nye  She  kept  me  waiting,  for  one  thing, 

Nonya'ka!  Till  this  year! 

(Note:  The  Zulu  who  gave  the  above  explanation  of  this  song,  said  that  the  words 
might  possibly  be  otherwise  interpreted.  As  in  the  songs  of  many  simple  people, 
so  too  in  Zulu  songs,  the  words  often  merely  indicate  the  idea  that  gave  rise  to 
them;  they  do  not  fully  express  it.  But  as  the  singers  usually  know  the  incident 
on  which  the  song  is  founded,  they  understand  what  the  few  words  imply,  though 
a  stranger  may  not.) 


ZULU  LOVE-SONGS,  OR  SONGS  OF  MEDITATION 

Zulu  love-songs  are  composed  chiefly  by  men,  though  sometimes  also  by 
women,  and  they  are  the  expression  of  the  individual  feeling  of  their  authors. 
But  if  a  lover,  in  the  stress  of  his  passion,  composes  a  beautiful  song,  it  soon 
becomes  popular  and  is  sung  by  every  one. 

Love-songs  have  few  words;  often  a  melody  is  only  hummed,  but  even  this 
humming  expresses  the  feeling  which  is  the  reason  for  the  song.  The  Zulus 
are  fond  of  humming  and  sometimes  even  a  whole  chorus  of  people  will  hum 
together  with  closed  lips.' 

A  Zulu  youth  may  never  go  to  see  the  maid  that  he  is  wooing  in  her  home, 
for  that  would  be  against  the  custom.  He  hides  near  her  dwelling  in  some  spot 
where  her  relatives  will  not  see  him,  and  he  meets  her  when  she  goes  to  fetch 
water  or  to  gather  fruit.  While  he  waits  in  hiding,  he  thinks  of  what  she  last 
said  to  him,  or  he  wonders  what  she  will  say  when  he  reaches  her,  and  dreaming 
thus  of  her,  he  composes  a  love-song. 

The  Zulu  women  are  the  workers.  They  raise  the  crops,  cook,  draw  water 
and  gather  wood.     When  the  maid  leaves  her  house  to  do  her  homely  tasks,  she 

'This  same  humming  is  an  interesting  feature  of  the  singing  of  American  Negroes. 


72  SONGS  AND    TALES 


does  not  let  her  people  see  her  or  know  where  she  goes;  but  she  sings,  so  that 
the  waiting  lover  may  find  her  by  her  voice.  And  as  the  Zulus  are  always  singing, 
no  one  will  notice;   only  the  lover  will  understand  and  come. 

The  love-songs  of  both  men  and  women  are  either  sad  or  joyful:  the  lover 
laments  that  his  courting  is  in  vain,  or  he  rejoices  in  his  success.  If  he  has  been 
with  the  maid  whom  he  loves  and  she  has  told  him  good  tidings  and  sent  him 
home  happy,  then  indeed  he  composes  songs  of  joy.  But  the  love-songs  of  the 
women  are  chiefly  songs  of  regret.  So  often  she  goes  to  the  spring  or  into  the 
forest  in  the  hope  of  seeing  him  whom  she  loves,  only  to  find  wooers  whom  she 
will  none  of!  She  sings  her  disappointment,  and  the  waiting  lovers  know  then 
that  they  need  not  hope. 

The  Zulus  are  polygamous  and  each  man  usually  has  from  five  to  fifteen 
wives;  but  the  King  has  at  least  fifty.  For  every  bride  the  ordinary  man  must 
pay  eleven  cows,  but  the  daughter  of  a  Governor  or  of  the  King  commands  a 
larger  price. '  Since  the  number  of  a  man's  wives  is  limited  only  by  purchasing 
power,  women  are  in  much  demand;  every  young  man  has  to  strive  hard  to  win 
the  love  of  the  girl,  because  for  her  there  are  always  plenty  of  opportunities  to 
marry.  There  is  much  competition  among  the  men  to  procure  the  pretty  or 
desirable  girls,  since  every  one  may  try — unmarried  youths  and  men  who  already 
have  many  wives.  No  girl  cares  to  marry  a  poor  man,  or  a  man  with  only  one 
wife,  for  she  does  not  like  to  give  herself  to  one  whom  nobody  else  wants.  She 
wishes  to  wed  a  prosperous  man  whom  other  women  have  been  glad  to  marry 
and  are  still  anxious  to  marry,  a  husband  to  be  proud  of  for  his  riches  and  his 
popularity.  The  woman  must  be  true  to  her  husband,  and  she  must  not  steal. 
After  she  is  married  she  may  no  longer  sing  love-songs,  but  the  man  never  stops, 
for  such  songs  are  sung  not  only  by  young  unmarried  men,  but  also  by  any  man 
who  wishes  to  court  a  new  wife. 

The  wedding  feast,  which  is  celebrated  by  continuous  eating,  drinking,  danc- 
ing and  singing,  is  held  at  the  home  of  the  man  and  lasts  for  three  days;  one  day 
before  the  marriage,  the  day  of  the  marriage  and  the  day  after.  The  night  be- 
fore the  marriage  a  contest  of  song  is  held  between  the  man's  people  and  the 
woman's  people,  divided  into  sides,  to  see  which  side  can  sing  the  longest.  The 
singing  lasts  all  night,  and  the  winners  get  glory  for  their  prize.  When  the  hour 
for  the  marriage-vows  has  come,  a  nobleman  quiets  every  one  for  a  few  moments 
and  there  is  a  lull  in  the  singing  and  drinking.  Then  he  calls  the  girl  before  him 
and  asks  her  if  she  loves  the  man  who  is  to  be  her  husband  and  if  she' is  willing 
to  take  care  of  him,  work  for  him  and  support  him  during  all  his  life.  She  re- 
plies "yes"  to  every  question,  and  that  ends  the  marriage  ceremony,  for  the  man 
makes  no  vows.  It  is  understood  that  he  has  already  fulfilled  his  part  of  the 
marriage  contract,  for  he  has  been  persistent  in  his  wooing,  has  had  a  hard  time 
to  make  the  girl  love  him,  and  he  has  paid  dearly  for  her  in  cattle.  But  as  the 
woman  must  now  work  for  the  man,  she  must  be  bound  by  a  promise.  And 
woe  to  her  if  she  breaks  it! 


'This  custom  is  the  reverse  of  the  European  system  of  the  dot  or  dowry,  when  it  is  the  father  of  the  maid 
W'ho  must  pay  the  man  who  takes  her,  instead  of  the  lover  who  pays  the  father. 


FROM   THE  DARK  CONTINENT 73 

IGA'MA  LO  TAN  DO 

LOVE-SONG 
I 

In  the  olden  time  the  maidens  had  the  privilege  of  choice  in  their  marriage; 
yet  the  father  [like  fathers  all  over  the  world!]  often  interposed,  forbidding  the 
daughter  to  marry  the  man  that  she  loved  if  he  were  poor,  and  compelling  her  to 
marry  a  rich  man.  In  this  song  the  thwarted  maiden  sings  with  rapture  at  the 
approach  of  her  lover.  She  likens  him  to  the  wind,  for  even  as  the  wind  blows 
and  none  may  stop  it,  so  against  all  commands  he  comes  to  her.  She,  not  less 
defiant,  declares  that  if  she  cannot  actually  marry  him,  she  will  nevertheless  wed 
him  in  spirit  by  speaking  her  vows  to  his  garment,  if  he  will  but  let  her  have  it. 
"By  law"  means  to  take  the  marriage  oath.  This  song,  explains  the  Zulu,  is  the 
expression  of  the  strength  and  fidelity  of  love. 

"Ala'me"  is  an  exclamation  which  literally  means  "mother."  The  African 
calls  "O  Mother!"  when  expressing  strong  emotion,  as  the  white  man  cries 
"O  Heaven."  In  this  case  the  exclamation  means  "rapture,"  and  was  thus 
translated  by  the  Zulu  informant.' 

{Metrical  translation  to  fit  the  original 
African  rhythms) 

U-ye'ze,  u-ye'ze.  He  cometh,  he  cometh, 

Ma'me!  U-ye'ze  U-mo'ya!  Rapture!  Cometh  the  Strong  Wind! 

U-ye'ze,  u-ye'ze.  He  cometh,  he  cometh, 

Ma'me!  U-ye'ze  U-mo'ya!  Rapture!  Cometh  the  Strong.  Wind! 

Nakuba'  Let  me  have 

Se'ku  li —  But  his  robe, 

Ba'nchi  la'ke  ngo —  And  the  marriage-vows 

Sha'da  na'lo  I  will  utter, 

Ngomte'to!^  By  the  law! 

{Literal  translation) 

He  cometh,  he  cometh 
Rapture,  he  cometh,  the  Wind! 
He  cometh,  he  cometh, 
Rapture,  he  cometh,  the  Wind! 

Even  though 
But  his  robe, 
I  will  marry  it, 
I  will, 

By  the  law! 

'See  pages  xxiii,  21,  37,  41. 

'In  conversation  the  words  in  this  verse  are  accented  thus: 

Naku'ba  se'ku 

Liba'ntyi  la'ke 

Ngo  sha'da  na'lo 

Ngomte'to! 


74  SONGS   AND    TALES 


II 

The  "West"  is  a  mystical  place  that  no  one  ever  reached,  the  place  of  the 
vanishing  light,  the  place  where  hope  dies.  The  word  comes  from  the  verb  "tsho- 
na,"  which  means  "to  sink,"  and  is  used  for  the  sinking  sun  in  the  west,  as  also 
for  anything  that  sinks  in  the  water,  that  goes  far  away  out  of  sight,  that  dies 
or  perishes.  If  the  Zulus  say  that  a  person  has  gone  to  the  "West,"  they  mean 
that  he  will  never  be  seen  again.  If  a  maiden  says  to  her  lover,  "You  must  go  to 
the  West,"  he  understands  that  she  is  going  to  send  him  away.  If  anyone  asks 
her,  "Where  is  your  friend.''"  and  she  replies,  "In  the  West,"  she  means  that  she 
has  no  friend.  A  girl  may  sing  this  song  to  tell  the  man  that  there  is  no  hope  for 
him,  or  that  she  loves  him  but  cannot  marry  him,  or  that  her  father  objects. 
The  lover  may  sing  this  song  to  tell  the  girl  that  though  he  loves  her,  he  has  not 
cows  enough  to  win  her.  The  "West"  is  the  land  without  hope.  This  song  might 
even  mean  that  the  lover  was  dead.  In  South  Africa  it  is  customary  to  announce 
death — more  especially  the  death  of  an  adult  person — with  the  expression 
u  shoni'le,  "he  has  set,"  likening  the  life  of  man  to  the  course  of  the  sun  which, 
after  reaching  its  zenith,  declines  to  the  West.  This  poetic  way  of  telling  sad 
news  is  considered  more  respectful  and  less  shocking  than  the  blunt  statement 
"he  has  died."  The  expressions  U-ye  emasho'na,  "he  went  West,"  and  Zu'va  la'ke 
la  vi'la,  "his  sun  has  set,"  find  their  equivalent  in  the  Chindau'  language  also. 
During  the  world-war  this  figurative  language  was  adopted  by  the  white  soldiers 
in  France,  and  many  a  British  or  American  boy  "went  West." 

The  melody  of  this  song  is  obviously  taken  from  the  whites.  "Uda'li"  is 
also  a  modern  Zulu  word,  said  to  be  derived  from  the  European  word  "darling." 
The  song  is  a  great  favorite  among  the  Zulus,  who  are  deeply  affected  by  its 
plaintive  words  and  tune,  and  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  is  in  not  pure  African 
music,  it  is  included  in  this  collection  because  of  the  native  poetry  of  the  words. 

(Metrical  and  literal  translation) 

Uda'li  use'le  ematsho'n'.  My   darling   stayed    in    the   West, 

Uye'  ematsho'na  ule'le  ematsho'n'.  Westward  faring,  he  slept  in  the  West. 

Uda'li  uha'mba  ematsho'n',  Aly  darling  walked  toward  the  West, 

Kaca'ne  unenga'ne  encane,  Slow,  thinking  of  his  little  one, 

Uda'li  use'le  ematsho'n';  My  darling  stayed  in  the  West; 

Ye'ka  mtakwe'tu  use'le  ematsho'n';  He,mybeloved,  he  stayed  intheWest; 

Uda'li  ule'le  ematsho'n'.  My  darling  slept  in  the  Wes't. 

Awu-ye'lelema'm'!  Awu-ye'lelema'm'!  Alas,  alas!     Alas,  alas! 

Ill 

A  young  man  on  returning  to  his  kraal  tells  of  all  the  maidens  that  he  has 
met. 

{Metrical   and   literal   translation    to  fit 
the  original  African  song-rhythms) 

Awu-yi'ni-ye  lelema  m'!  Ah, — think  of  this,  leleina  tn  ! 

Ngi  hla'ngene  neku'lu  ngomtet':  I  met  a  hundred  maidens,  in  truth: 

Awu-yi'ni-ye'lelema'm'!  Ah, — think  of  this,  ''lelema' m' ! 


FROM   THE  DARK  COXTINENT 


75 


IV 

A  youth  sees  a  group  of  maidens  coming  up  from  the  South,  from  the  country 
below  the  stream,  carrying  their  water-jars  to  fill  them  at  the  lake.  The  sight 
of  them  is  so  beautiful  that  it  seems  to  him  as  though  they  held  all  the  pain  of 
lovers  in  their  jars.  \\'hen  they  reach  the  lake  and  stoop  to  draw  water,  he 
speaks  to  them  and  at  first  they  scatter  his  pain  and  fill  him  with  hope.  But  as 
he  nears  them,  they  turn  and  mock  him.  The  "Troubler,"  Longing,  now  seizes 
him  and  trembles  within  him.  "O  Troubler,"  he  cries,  "drive  me  further  on, 
into  the  upper  country  to  the  north,  where  I  may  find  a  maid  of  single  heart;  for 
the  heart  of  these  others  is  double!" 

Thus  is  this  love-song  interpreted  by  a  native,  who  admitted,  however,  that 
the  verses  might  be  differently  explained.  For,  like  most  folk-poems,  this  was 
undoubtedly  the  fruit  of  the  actual  experience  of  the  poet  who  had  poured  out 
his  song  with  no  thought  of  a  listener.  So  the  stranger  who  hears  it  can  but 
guess  its  meaning,  which  may  have  been  well  known  to  the  village  of  the  author. 
Its  mystery  is  perhaps  its  greatest  charm,  for  as  emotional  and  impressionistic 
poetry  it  appeals  vividly  to  the  imagination. 

As  sung,  the  Zulu  verse  fiows  in  even,  melodious  lines  with  the  syllables 
sliding  into  each  other  in  regular  accents,  heightened  in  some  places  by  the  sharp 
"clicks"  which  make  the  Zulu  language  so  rhythmically  interesting  and  unique 
of  sound.  The  translation  seeks  to  reproduce  the  original  structure  of  the  poem 
with  its  soft  melody  and  even  rhythms,  while  retaining  with  entire  literalness  the 
word-character  which  paints  river,  lake,  jungle  and  sudden  passion  with  such 
deep-carved  emphasis  of  symbol.  The  tune  of  this  song  has  a  wooing  sweetness 
like  the  love-notes  of  mating  birds;  the  long-drawn  tones  at  the  beginning  of 
each  of  the  rounded,  undulating  phrases  sing  of  longing,  and  the  tenderness  and 
appeal  of  the  whole  melody  tell  even  the  unaccustomed  ear  of  the  white  man  that 
this  is  a  love-song. 

{Metrical  translation  to  fit  the  rhythms 
of  Zulu  verse  and  music) 

I  saw  some  maidens  coming  from  the 

Southland, 
Whose    water-jars    were    filled    with 

pain  of  lovers. 
They  came  unto  the  lake  and  poured 

the  pain  out; 
Then  came  to  me  the  Troubler,  came 

and  trembled. 
O  Troubler,  drive  me  northward,  to 

the  upper  country. 
To  seek  a   maid   of  single   heart  and 

faithful — 
For   the   heart  of   these   is   false   and 


Ngi  hla'ngene  nento'mbi  za  se  nza'nsi, 
Zi  twe'le  ugcu'nsula'  nge  si'kwante'la, 
Za  fi'ka  eci'bini'  za  lu  pala'za; 
Wa  fi'ka,  Unog'qaqa,  wa  qa'qaze'la. 

"Ngi  ka'pe,    'Nog'qaqa,    ngiye    kweli' 

pezu'lu, 
Ngo     fu'na     into'mbi     enhli'ziyo    nga 

yi'nye; 
A'manye  anhli'ziyo  nga  mbi'li!"' 


double! 

'The  words  in  this  song  are  differently  accented  when  spoken.     See  .-Appendix,  page  170. 


76  SONGS  AND    TALES 


{Literal  translation) 

I  met  maidens,  those  from  the  South- 
land 

Who  were  carrying  the  pain  of  lovers  in 
water-jars. 

They  came  to  the  lake,  they  poured  out 
the  pain; 

He  came,  the  Troubler,  he  trembled. 

Drive  me,  O  Troubler,  I  go  to  the 
Northland 

To  seek  a  maid  whose  heart  is  single — 

The  heart  of  these  others  is  double! 

CREATION  STORY 

UMU\'E'LI  NGQA'NGE 

(The  Eternal  One) 

On  a  beautiful  day  Umuve'li  Ngqa'nge,  the  Eternal  One,  creator  of  the 
world,  went  up  into  the  hills.  There  were  many  reeds  growing  by  the  river,  and 
he  spoke  to  a  reed  and  said,  "Bring  forth  male  creatures!"  Then  he  put  all  the 
males  together  in  one  place  and  spoke  again  to  the  reed  and  said,  "Bring  forth 
female  creatures!"  Then  he  went  home.  And  he  said  to  himself,  "These  that 
I  have  made  shall  live  forever  and  never  die." 

He  called  Unwa'ba,  the  Chameleon,  one  of  the  creatures  that  he  had  created, 
and  said  to  him,  "Go  up  to  the  hill-top  where  I  stood  when  I  spoke  to  the  reed,  and 
cry  aloud  to  the  people  and  tell  them  that  they  shall  live  forever  and  never  die." 

So  the  Chameleon  started.  After  he  had  been  gone  a  long  time  the  Creator 
changed  his  mind  and  said  to  himself,  "I  will  have  people  live  a  long  time  until 
they  are  old,  and  then  die."  So  he  called  Intu'lo,  the  Lizard,  to  him  and  said, 
"Go  and  stand  where  I  stood  when  I  was  creating  the  people,  and  tell  them  that  I 
say:   'You  shall  live  until  you  are  old  and  then  die!'  " 

The  Lizard  went  quickly  and  reached  the  hilltop  before  the  Chameleon,  who 
had  been  stopping  all  along  the  wayside,  enjoying  himself  eating  red  berries. 
When  the  Lizard  came  to  the  place  where  the  Creator  had  stood,  he  cried  out 
and  said,  "The  Creator  says  you  shall  all  live  until  you  grow  old  and  then  die." 
Then  the  Lizard  went  back. 

Long,  long  after  came  the  Chameleon  and  cried  aloud  to  the  people,  and  said, 
"The  Creator  says  that  you  shall  live  always  and  never  die."  But  the  people 
answered:  "The  Creator  has  sent  us  his  word  by  the  Lizard,  who  told  us  that  we 
shall  live  until  we  are  old  and  then  die.  So  we  believe  the  Lizard.  You  can  go 
back;    to  you  we  will  not  reply." 

And  so  the  Zulus  believe  that  no  one  should  die  in  youth.  When  a  young  person 
dies,  it  is  not  as  it  should  be,  but  because  he  has  been  conjured  or  bewitched. 

Thus  does  the  belief  in  witchcraft  have  its  place  even  in  the  very  story  of 
creation — a  belief  that  underlies  the  spiritual  life  and  the  instinctive  thought  of 
all  black  Africa. 


FROM  THE  DARK  CONTINENT 


11 


SIMA'NGO'S  FAREWELL  TO  THE  READER 

I  think  that  there  will  be  people  who  will  undoubtedly  appreciate  this  work 
and  think  of  it  as  a  great  work  in  approaching  Africans'  life  and  habit.  So  those 
who  shall  perhaps  do  more  in  the  future  with  African  songs  shall  think  of  this 
work  as  one  of  the  many  appreciative  ways  which  led  into  the  life  of  the  African, 
for  the  songs  are  the  expression  of  his  various  experiences — love,  work,  recre- 
ation, sorrow,  joy  and  religion,  all  these  sides  of  his  life,  are  embodied  in  his 
songs.  Perhaps  the  present  work  may  not  bring  the  desired  goal,  but  like  all 
the  lasting  work  of  the  world  seemed  at  the  beginning  as  failure  were  appre- 
ciated afterwards.  So  I  think  of  this  work  with  the  songs  as  a  great  work 
which  required  an  unlimited  amount  of  patience.  Perhaps  to  some  people  when 
the  songs  are  in  book-form,  may  appear  as  having  been  an  easy  work,  but  I 
know  that  it  has  been  a  hard  one! 

C.  KAMBA  SIMANGO. 


AFRICAN  WOOD-CARVING 

Cups  and  Ladle 
{West  Centra!  Africa) 


CHINDAU' 
SONGS 


Chindau'  Songs 

(Portuguese  East  Africa) 

Recorded  from  the  singing  of  Ka'mba  Sima'ngo 


81 


Mate'ka 

Song  of  the  Rain  Ceremony 
I 


Dance-rhythm 

Leader  and 
Higher  voices 

Lower  voices 


fe 


''Changing  Drum" 
Big  Drum 


Not  fast  (J -58)  With  dig7iity  ajid  rhythmic  emphasis 

8    jij    J    J    J    J-       J>i    J       J-J J J^ k 


^ 


\ 


^ 


\  ^T  IT     ^     ^    ^    ^    ^    V^ 


A  -    ndi  -  na    mwa-na    wo-kwe-nda  na 
No     child  may  jour-ney  with  me,  ne'er  a 


Bt^t 


s 


f=r 


J      J     J .L^L J)    ,    J     J J ^^L it 


» 


^ 


^h    \^f    -P 


^ 


E 


P 


!^^ 


ye,       we 
one. 


.1/0- 


i/e  i   -ye  i  -  ye 


t   -  ye         I    - 


^ 


M  ^r   f  r   f^  r   f  r  f 


^^ 


ye  I    -  ye  i   -  ye  %  -  ye         t 


^^^=^ 


;^=J= 


f^=^ 


f 


p  'T    r 


f=r 


*  See  Mate'ka  I,  page  20,  for  African  names  of  drums.  Big  drums  are  tuned  a  fourth  apart;  little 
drums  are  also  tuned  in  fourths.  The  drums  and  the  voices  of  the  singers  are  not  necessarily 
pitched  in  the  same  key.  The  singers  pitch  their  song  wherever  the  intervals  lie  within  easy 
range  of  their  voices,  irrespective  of  the  pitch  of  the  drums. 


29231 C 


Copyright,  1920,  by  O.  Schirmer 


82 


J    J    J     J     J- Jl+J J J J J^ ^ 


ye. 


Fu 
Dis 


lo    -    mbo,     mai,        we!  _ 
tress,    moth  -  er,         woe!. 


m 

ye  — 


U  ^ 


\>i 


m 


^^ 


S        ,T  f  f  ^f  ^ 


y«, 


Fu     -      lo     -    mbo,      mai, 
Dis   -    tress,    moth  -    er, 


we !  _ 

woe!. 


y<i- 


^ 


i.iJ     i- 


i.j     n  - 


^=^ 


r-     p  'T    r 


f=f 


Drum  Interlude  1 

J  J  J  J  J.  J)  I   J — J   J  J  J-  ji,  J  J  J  J  J.     i) 


-k^ 


tfc 


5 


f  p  r  f 


^ 


?<'g  ye 


ye     I     yo      ive 


\.i 


*J:    I         '  \' 


r    I  -f  ^ff 


Ji a. 


we  ye 


ye     t     yo     we 


$ 


Small  Drums 


■  »  hi> 


*^=^^ 


:^fc=i^ 


i 


*=ti^ 


m 


r  r  -    r  r  1    r  -    r-  p't  r  -     r-  ^ 


J  J  J  J  J-  ^1 J  j  J  J  J.  j)i  J  J  J  J  J-  J>, 


Solo  Voice 


m 


^ 


Wo 


L^  J3^j)^   rj7jl,^  UJU)^  JT^-ll,^  ^JJ^i^^   ^ 


CTi  ULtr-       'U^  HIT'       'U^  ZlIT- 


^ 


iJ  ^  ,- 


T^ 


■    ^r-  y'^r  r  ■     r  ^ 


29231 


8S 


J  J    J    J   J-  J),  J     J     J  J  J.  i),J   J    J  J  J.  ^ 


'j:  r  f  fri^ 


u 


^ 


S 


fe?2I 


■    ■    ■: 


itpi 


ah   wo  ah_  wo  ah_  wo. 
Drums   silent 


wo  ha  e    ha      i-ye. 


i    ye  wo  ye    he 


J  J  J  J  J-  ]>  II J  J  J  J  J-  ;> ,  J  J  J J j^ jl 


i 


Voices 


t»=Ffc 


i  y^p  IT 


ff  r  M 


Ngo-ma     hu  -  lu  -  yo       ng-o   g'u  -   ra    la 
The  Big  Drum  wait  -  eth       for    me      as    a 


"Changing  Drum" 


i 


^ 


:d=^ 


m 


T  r  -    r-  p  'T^ 


f"=f 


Big  Drum 


J    J  J  J   J-    J) ,  J  J    J   J   J.     ^  I  J  J  J  J   J.    ^ 


» 


I 


'•p  i'T"f^f  i^r  f  f  p  i^f    '  ^^ 


■•     ■ 


ngu    we yo 

grave, 


we         i-ye     i-ye     i-ye      i-ye     t    -    ye 


^ 


t'^i  i 


r  i^r  ^r  pr  P^ 


Fu 
Dis- 


=^=^ 


^ 


t    -    y«     ^-ye      i-ye      i-ye     i    -    ye 


Vu 
Dis 


^r  r  ■   7^p  '^r  r  -     r  p  '^r  r  -    f^ 


29231 


84 


J    J    J    J  J.  ^,  J  J  J  J  J.  ^,  J     J  J  J    J.  ^ 


;=fct 


i 


m     m 


i^ 


I  > 


^m 


f  7  r  ^ 


-i*-© 


lo  -  mho,  mai,    we! 
tress,  moth  -  er,      woe ! 


ye_ 


.  ire  i/e 


ye     t     I/O     we 


h 


\> 


ti 


f  f  f  T  f  fTpy^ 


^ 


p^^^ 


s 


lo  -  mbo,  mai,    we!  ye_ 

tress,  moth- er,      woe! 


irr  i/e 


ye    I    yo     ive 


i.r]  J  ' 


ikE^^ 


ij  n- 


m 


f=^ 


r-  p  "T  r  -    r-  p  '7    r  -  =f=? 


Drum  Interlude  2 

J  J  J  J  J.    J),  J    J  J    J  J-    ^,  J    J  J    J 


J    J  J-    J) 


Small  Drums 


-.  >  HJ'  >  ^rj^ 


>  jj^M  jj 


*  0 '  « 


'Zfi  Zllf 


^hd^ 


^>^  f>  i» i» 


r  r  r » f  p 


J  J  J  J  J.  ^,  J  J  J  J  J-  ^,  J  J  J  J  J-  J) 

Solo  Voice 


r  I  r  F  r  rr7r- 


s 


Wo      ah  wo  ah  wo  ah  wo. 


>  ^JJ^J'>  JJ>JP  JJ^^'  JJ^ 


tr*  tllT' 


'tr*  LLtr- 


^^s 


ij  J  - 


^ 


c;  ^  pr  p  T  r  -     r  > 


29231 


8S 


J    J    J  J   J- ^,  J    J  J     J   J-  ^,J  J  J  J  J-   i) 

I., 


I       3 1 


rV-7  P    rrr  ir^rprr . 


m 


ah_     wo  i     ye    yo. 


we 1     ye 


J J J-^ J-     i>„  JJJjJ-  J>i  J  J  J     J     J- k 


Voices 


M 


-  -  \wr  r  p 


m     ■  ^ 


^ 


Ndo-zo  pi-gfwa-inw'o  no  nda-fa    p» - 
And  dy-ing,  I  shall  be  bu-ried  there- 


Ndora-ta      yo  -  na  i    chi    da lo!     > 

Not  for  sleep  would  I  for-sakethisdrum-ming! 


'Changing  Drum" 


^sfe 


J.     ^- 


m 


]>fr'l  f.  n  II 


rr-r-pT  r  -      r-    p 


Big  Drum 


J   J  J   J    J-     ^,  J  J    J    J  J-     J)i  J  J  J  J  J.    ^ 


r  r  (Tr-  r  '^i^rU  ft  t^f  p 


no      ive I/O 

in. 


we  i    -    ye      i  -  ye      i  -  ye      i  -  ye      i    -    ye 


^ 


^ 


T   l.^ 


i    -ye      i  -  ye      i  -ye      i  -  ye      i    -    ye 


^ 


1 

Ku- 
Dis- 


^ 


^ 


■  ■  » 


r  r  -     r-  p^^^r^f 


fet^ 


-  i.^J> 


r-   p'T r -    f'=r 


?9231 


86 


J        J        J        J     J-      J)    ,    J     J     J     J        J-     ^   I      J  J      J     J     J.     ^ 


i^ 


fe^ 


p  f  f  'rr  frr^r  ^^   ;'ff 


we  ye 


0 a. 


m 


I  lo  -  mbo,  mai,    we! ye. 

tress,  moth -er,      woe!_ 


ye 


ye     t    yo     we 


I.J     t   - 


^^=^^ 


*^=^^ 


S 


r  r  ■     r-  r  r  r  -     r-  r  r    r  -    r-f 


Drum  Interlude  3 

J  J  J  J  J-  ;i,j  J  J  J  J-  J),  J  J  J  J  J-  ^ 


Small  Drums 


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 


'rr">  r^rr-'  '  ^zf'i'nif 


m 


iE^ 


;t=^ 


i 


iJ      ,1      .1 


e 


r  r  r  >  r-  p  "'^=£ 


^ 


f= 


^ 


J  J  J  J  J-  ^,  J  J  J  J  J-  j>,  J  J  J  J  J-  ^1 


Solo  Voice 


^ 


fir  ff/r?^     i^F[TP? 


^ 


s 


Wo    ah    wo  ah_wo  ah-  wo. 


hae   ha hai-ye. 


>  JJ^Ji'  JJOI,>  I.J  JU)>  JJ^JI ,»  ^JJ' i)>  ^ 


'tj>  r^rr-      "tr?  rrr-     "zfi  HIT' 


^>-  -^  j>'  ->- 

■•^  p  p         p         [g         IP  p 


^ 


29231 


87 


J J  J    J  J-    J),  J    J  J    J  J-    ^,  J  J  J    J  J-    J) 


J 


Voices 


^m 


CM- 
The 


Sa 


^fe 


xrr 


t—t- 
i  ye  wo 


^     UJ'Ji^  J'JrjL^  UJUi^   JJ^ 


'17  ^  ziif-     ^tr  ^  tiir- 


^ 


J     J     iibj     J    =^ 


^  ij  ^  J.  ^  o 


g 


F 


J-^ i. 


J)    ,   J      J      J J-J^ JL 


'-6-4, 


m         m 


g  r   ff  r    f  jf: 


£ 


^ 


mu  -  kwi  -  /o      mu  -   no     ehi   -   ko  -  na    -     vo?      we i/o 

up  -  land   man-ner       of    drum- ming,  know      ye? 


=>=F 


■,t      I.J        ^       J.  >         r       i.     ,.»      I,  J      y    J.  )=fc^ 


^ 


r   >   p  ''  >  =t 


T  »  p  ^  >  c 


^^ J ^-i^ J)  ,  J  J  J  J  J- 1 


^ 


^ 


^^ 


^^i 


? 


3 


Ju 


y«;  i  -  ye  i   -   ye 


M 


29281 


X   -  ye  I 


It   f     fT    ^      ^  ^=^ 


ye  X    -   ye  i   -   ye  i   -  ye  i 


ye 


ye 


^^ 


Vvk 
Dis 

% 


Dis 


tJ       ^  J-         >       O^ 


r   >    r  >    F 


ij  J  ■ 


T  r  -      r-  ==f 


88 


J J J J     J-     J)   ,  J J J_J i 


J) 


S 


lo     -     mbo,      mai,        we! 

tress,    moth  -   er,  woe! 


ye 


H^ 


ye. 


m 


^^  f  t  f  I 


CZh 


n 


^ 


*         lo    -    mbo,      mai,        weL 


i/« 


I£ we 


tress,    moth  -   er,  woe! ^ 


ye 


i.i  J     i  - 


I.J    n  ■ 


f=f= 


f===^ 


f=r 


Drum  Interlude  4 

J  J  J  J  J-  ;>,  J  J  J  J  J-  i> 


J  J  J  J  J-  ^ 


'A±i- 


i 


R^ 


s 


y«    t    I/O     tve 


1 


ye    t    yo     tve 


i 


Small  Drums 


-  ■  ^  nJ'i>  urJ/>  m 


•tr*  Liir- 


i.ij.  ■ 


*^=^ 


ij  >,>  J 


T  r  -    n  'vr  -    r  > 


f^ 


J  J  J  J  J-  ^,j  J  J  J  J-  j),j  J  J  J  J-  ^ 


j,>  \svi^  jJoi,>  jj'j''  jjvji,^  jj'i't  m 
•  >  'T  -     r  ^ 


u^  mi' 


ij  »■>  >i 


i 


rr^tTr  -   =T^ 


29231 


89 


J  J  J  J  J-  J) ,  J  J  J  J  J-     ^ ,  J    J    J     J     J- — X 


Voices 


^ 


V0       m : 


i 


F       >f     P    =W= 


1 


Fa-  mwe-mba    do-vo      ha- ua       /u  ko  - 
No  coast-land  peo-ple   can  drum  in  this 


m 


faM=^ 


m 


f=f 


J  J  J  J  J.  ^,  J  J  J  J  J,  ^,  J  J  J  J  J-  ■^ 


^m 


^m 


r  r  ^p  i^r  "^  r  p  r  p  r  p  i^r 


ni!    M^e yo       ive         i  -    ye      i-ye      i-ye      i-ye      i    -    ye 

way! 


,Dis- 


l\}Vt  ff  ff  f  i^r    -     i  v4 


^ 


^ 


?    .    ye     %-ye      t-ye      i-ye      t    -    ye 


Fu- 
Dis- 


'JM-:  .!'■'  ^: 


fa^fc^ 


*^j^ 


r  r  •    r-  rT  r  r  ?  r-  r^r  r  -    r-  f 


J  J  J  J  J-  j),j  J  J  J  J-  ^,  J  J  J  J  J-  j> 


iC/C. 


± 


■       ■ 


±^ 


V^ 


^ 


^ 


^^ 


e^c. 


c?c. 


lo  -  mbo,  mai,  we! ye 

tress, moth- er,     woe! 


we         ye 


ye    i    yo    tee 


S 


f  f  f^f  f  ff7r^/~^r    ^Vp 


1 


'i*k 


I  lo  -  mbo,  mai,  we! ye. 

tress,moth- er,     woe' 


we         ye 


ye    t    yo     we 


^m 


fe^ 


faM=^ 


etc. 


t  T  •     >  r  ' » T  -    r'  p  "T    •  -    r  t 


This  song  may  be  continued  indefinitely.  The  above  transcription  simply  gives  the  main  sub- 
stance of  the  song,  though  many  more  verses  may  be  added  and  improvised  upon,  and  the  drum- 
interludes  may  be  extended  and  extemporised,  ad  libitum. 


29231 


90 


Mate'ka 

Song  of  the  Rain  Ceremony 
II 


Dance-rhythm 

* 

Leader  and 
Higher  voices 


Lower  voices 


"Mtu'mba" 

Two  small 

Drams 

"Mphiku'la" 
C'ChangingDrum")| 

"Ngo'ma  Hu'lu" 
(Big  Drum) 


' j  ii.  •     [I  fi  r  p  r  p  I O  J   r  P  r 

Nya-ma-ka-mba-/a     ta  -   pe     -     la!     e        we      i-ye 
Thun-der-of  -  the-East,we're  dy    -    ing! 


Slow  and  dignified  (-J  =66)  Rhythm  of  shuffling  steps 

I- J JO i)|J     J       J      J    i. Jl 


^ 


s 


'/ii  -    IT  IT  r  ^ 


i 


Nya-ma-ka-mba-/a     ta  -   pe     -     la!     e        we     ye  we^ 

Thun-der-of-the-East,-we're  dy    -    ing! 


t     V  J,  1 1    Jl  ^ 


tn — cz 


r=F 


r — f 


J    J    J    J    J- J)  ,  J    J    J    J    J- 


^m 


^ 


^^ 


ye 


^ 


ye  ye 


e  we         1  -ye      yo 


^ 


^ 


ye 


ye 


ye  ye 


ye 


e  we         I-  ye      yo 


>      J"]  V  Jl  t 


\    .n  » Jl  t 


^  ^  I' 


trr 


trr 


^ 


^^ 


** 


s 


■^T 


T 


r 


*    The  leader  starts  each  phrase,  or  roice,  and  the  people  join  in  on  the  second  or  third  syllable 

of  the  first  word,  as  soon  as  they  catch  what  the  word  is  to  be. 

**  Bars  marked  with  an  asterisk  are  variants  which  can  be  introduced  wherever  the  drummer 

pleases. 

***  For  note  on  tuning  of  drums,  see  page  81. 

29231 


91 


J     J     J J-O )>   ,J     J J J-wL 


^ 


m 


Mbu-li      yo      'pe  -  la       nyam  -  wa  ka!     e  v!e         i-y-      we 

And  the  race    will  die      this      sea     -      son! 


ka 


f 


p  f  r   p  r  ^ 

Mbu-li      yo      'pe  -  la       n, 


we  MDu-ii      yo       'pe  -  la       nyam  -  wa  ka!    e  we         i-ye      we. 

And  the  race     will  die      this      sea     -      son! 


>   n  ^  ji »   J  J  ^  J  1 1    ji  ^  ji  >    j^^ 


tn 


trr 


^ 


J    n- 


r   f  - 


r 


P    r    r    - 


r — cr 


x^ J   J  J- ;> ,  J  J  J    J   J- 

— ^      >~r 


■  ft 


^ 


^ 


ye 


^ 


t  -  .ye 


t  -  ye      t  -  yo  we 


P  P   i'  J' 


^ 


ye 


X-  ye 


X  -  ye     X  -  yo         we 


e  we         X  -  ye     yo 


t   n  1 1^\ 


t   n  ^  j^  > 


^ 


"trt 


CJ  t    1L2 


^ 


^ 


i^n^ — ^ 


r 


^  '^   r  - 


T — cr 


J    J   J i-^ 


J)  ,j   J J ^^ 


^^ 


M  r   p 


^ 


?*'«  Fa  -  li     Mu  -  kwi  -  lo         ta    -    lo      -        »a!   e 

O    ye  High  -  land  folk,    we      per     -       ish! 


^ 


^ve         t  -  ye    ive      x  - 


p  p  r   P 


I 


m 


Fa  -  li    Mu  -  kwi  -  lo         ta   -   lo 
O    ye  High  -  land  folk,     we      per    - 


fa!  e 

ish! 


we        ye  we 


I    n  r  .hj-  rm  1  >   n  ^  ji.t 


■ 

r   r  - 


trr 


»  f  r  - 


29231 


r 


* 


p  p  r   cj  »   r — cr 


92 


.'A^ 


i 


J     J     J      J     J. JlJ J J J-^ 


'    r-"  5. 


^  f  y  ^ 


m 


f 


^ 


m 


ye 


ye 


m 


ye 


==^ 


we    x-ye  wo-ye      e 
I r~i    ■>► 


g 


I -ye     yo 
5~~i 


^m 


P 


^ 


yn 


ye 


ye 


we    I- ye  wo-ye      e 


t      Jl  ^  J)  > 


v]    It        J-^^ 


t-ye     yo 


trr 


•   •  \__ 


tr-f — cz:i 


s 


rr- 


r — rr — r 


»   p  r  P 


J    J    J L^ ^  iJ    J 


e^c. 


c^c. 


e^c. 


S 


¥ 


P 


E 


^ 


we  Fa-li     Ku  -  jo  -  mbe     ta    -    pe     -      la! 

0    ye   Sea  -  side  folk,  we're     dy    -      ing! 


ff  P  r   P  r  ff  ^^ 


Fa-li     Ku   -  jo  -  mbe     ta    -    pe     -      la! 
0    ye   Sea  -  side  folk,  we're      dy    -      ing! 


\  Ji  I'  ju  rm  I  >  n^n 


etc. 


etc. 


trr 


trr 


5^ 


r  r  - 


T — r — T^ 


*    An  upward  break  in  the  voice,  something  like  a  Swiss  yodel. 

The  song  continues  indefinitely,  the  vocable  refrains  being  spontaneous  variations  of  the 
foregoing,  while  the  invocations  of  the  leader  are  always  in  the  same  rhythm. 

This  transcription  can  offer  only  a  suggestion  of  the  song,  which  contains  elaborate  drum- 
interludes  and  many  improvisations  of  the  vocable  refrains.  Compare  with"Mate'ka,"  Song 
of  the  Rain  Ceremony  I,  page  81. 


29231 


Hand-clap 
or  rattle 


People 


Nyamso'lo 


Hand-clap 
or  rattle 


MantAi'ki 

Spirit-Song 

I 

Sa'lanyi,    Sa'lanyi 
Farewell,  Farewell 


93 


Not  fast  (•  =  96) 


Slightly  slower  (J  =  92) 


l&)^     S~i 


m 


an 


•'•/ 


r— - — ir 


.51- 


m  Jt  V  iffP'  ^ 


e   we         ya     yai  yo       we     ye 


Sa  -  la-nyi,sa  -  la-nyi! 
Fare-well  0,  fare-well  0! 


"Ttg 


m 


n ,|(g)  mji-  .mji 


First  tempo  (*  =  96) 


Slightly  slower  (•!  =  92 ; 


•  • 


«-# 


P 


"ifr 


i 


^^ 


I  p-      ^J'J^ 


Ndo-da     kwe  -  nda,      e      we 
I  would  leave   you. 


ya 


yai   yo  we_  ye 


Ndo-da     kwe -nda, ndo-da     kwe  -  nda,      e. 
I  would  leave  you,    I  would  leave  you. 


Tin-  :J   aj3 


*  If  the  rhythm  of  these  hand-claps  is  beaten  without  the  voice,  the  African  readily  recogniz- 
es the  song-;  the  rhythm  to  him  perfectly  indicates  the  melody.  Indeed,  when  I  was  learning- this 
song,  my  African  instructor  would  make  me  clap  without  singing  to  see  if  my  clapping  "made 
the  right  tune."  I  confess  that  the  rhythms  were  not  easy  to  learn,  at  first, though  after  I  had 
reduced  them  to  notation  they  looked  simple  enough.  The  feeling  of  the,  beats  bracketed  in  groups 
of  three  is  distinctly  that  of  a  triple  rhythm,  brought  out  more  clearly  by  the  holding  hack  of 
the  tempo,  and  creating  an  interesting  effect  of  cross-rhythms  with  the  lower  voice  and  its 
corresponding  hand-claps. 


29231 


94 


(J  =96) 


(J  =  92) 


n  n 


'$ 


mf 


h  ji  ji  I  J'  r     "-P  :  M 


^s 


p 


I 


wj/" 


Ka    kwe-nda. 
I'm      go  -  ing. 


e       we 


ya         yai    yo  we      e   we 


h    -fi   Ji 


!•'    J'    J'    Ij)    i  J'    'i-J>r-^^ 


Ea     kwe-nda,  ka    kwe-nda. 
I'm       go  -  ing,  I'm      go  -  ing. 


e        we 


ya 


S. 


yai     yo  we      e   we 


(J=96) 


(•=92) 


S 


n 


'I  ^    F   c    L^^ 


^  r    n^,n  I 


P 

ya 


we        ye        we         ye—  e         we 


yai     yo  we_      ye. 


h    J)    J) 


Jl  j)   ij  ^    J>    -J   J>.     j3 


w^ «r 


we 


ye        we        ye—  e  we 


ya 


]   r~3 


yai      yo 


we. 


(J  =96) 


(J  =92) 


n  :n 


i 


1? 


mf 


m 


h    J  JM  i> 


f     'FT' 


i^ 


Sa  -    la  -  nyi!        e       we 
Fare -well    0. 


ya         yai    yo  we_     ye 


J>    Ji   J  J    J^ 


Ci  J  ^  J 


Sa  -    la  -  nyi,   sa  -    la  -  nyi!        e 
Fare  -  well     0,    fare -well     0. 


•         • 


-• •- 


T^  n 


Ti  n. 


29231 


95 


(J  =  96) 


(*  =92)  same  tempo-changes  throughout 


♦— * 


m  n 


^ 


J  J  J  ji 


E 


^^ 


Mwo-chi-sa  -  le,        e       we 
We   are  part-ing. 


ya        yai    yo  we-    i-i-ye 


j  ii  J  J  J  ji  ji  ji  jiiJ-j  JT3-^^J   JM  J 


Mwo-chi  -  sa  -  le,  mwo-chi  -  sa  -  le,       e. 
We    are  part-ing,  we    are  part-ing. 


r-nmr~nn 


J m-0-m — J — ; — • — J-J — 0^ — •-« 


I'  jt  ji  J I  J''  r    "^p  ' !?.  p-  ^F 


Ndo-da     kwe  -  nda,      e      we 
I  would  leave  you. 


ya       yai   yo        we     e  we 


* 


^      i        i        J 
'      d'        di         iX 


g 


1      i         ,^| 


i     J'  '  i  J).  ^p 


•^  • 


Ndo-da     kwe- nda, ndo-da      kwe  -  nda,      e      we 
I  would  leave  you,   I  would  leave    you. 


ya       yai    yo        we     e  we 


rnn 


J — J — J — J — (— J — 0-0—0 — J — ;  •    J  J — J^# — J (-• — 0 J — 0 


p  M  LTi^r   '-r-w  ^'-Pi'      >  ^'J' 


we    ye    we     ye_       e     we  ya     yai  yo        we_    ye. 


Ka  kwe-nda 
I'm    go  -  ing. 


I'  J  J'  Jjij  JJ^  j)^Ji.  ^j   ^'li' JJ'i)  JiJi 


we    ye    we     ye_       e      we_ 


ya     yai  yo        we_ 


a      Ka  kwe-nda,ka  kwe-nda 
I'm   go-ingjl'm    go -ing. 


,n  n  i^rmi :  m  jti  .n n 


39231 


96 


-J — J-J-J J — t—m — •-• •  J  • 


:£~7~) 


^^ 


^ 


» 


e     we  ya     yai   yo  we    i-i-yc 


t 


S 


mn 


!>  J'  J I  J'  r  m 

Sa  -  la-nyi!    e     we  ya 

Fare-well  0. 


^-2  [j,  J 


6=5 


Sa  -  la-nyi,  sa  -  la-nyi!    e 
Fare-well  0,  Fare-well  0. 


nn 


UJl 


-+-# 


«i — • — f 


mn 


33 


J — J-J-J — J — i-# — J-J — J'  3  <■ 


I  M'    A^Jli        J>  J'JHi'r     MM'  ^-fc 


yai  yo 


we-     ye. 


Ka  kwe-nda ,    e     we 
I'm    go-ing, 


ya     yai  yo       we    e  we 


Ka  kwe-nda, ka  kwe-nda,    e     we 
I'm    go-ing.I'm   go-ing, 


ya     yai   yo       we    e  we 


n s:} r^ ,mn  -.m  m 


J — J — • — J h-J — •-•-• — m — i  J    J  J — J-J — J — 1-* 


'4  r  M  ^i^T   -rM'  ^'>i'        J' j'^ 


we   ye    we    ye_       e     we  ya     yai  yo        we.    ye 


Ndombu-lu-ka! 
I     am  fly-ing, 


lijji^i^^  j)ij^-^  jiJ'j^j'j'^^ 


Ei5 


we   ye    we    ye_      e     we_        ya    yai  yo       we- 


a     Ndombu-lu-ka,  ndombu-lu-ka! 
I     am  fly-ing,  I     am  fly-ing. 


r:  n  ^mn  rr:  n 


29231 


97 


Tin      :/? 


mn 


jrn 


^r   'f  -r  F'  -[^^i^        ji  jui  j^iJ'r^ 


e    we  ya     yai  yo         we    i-i-ye 


Mwo-chi-sa  -  le.     e    we 
We  arepart-ing. 


ya 


f  n   JJJ^J^J  jF     1^^'^^  JjiJJ  Jli'J 


W 


Mwo-chi-sa  -  lc,inwochi-8a  -  le.     e     we 
We  areparting,we  arepart-ing. 


ya 


1 — R  nr^    I — n  n 

« — 0  0  S  m    S  <  m 0  0  0  0 


mn 


d      J- — J-    3  J — H-J J J J hJ J-J-J — J — ;   J     J- — alj — t 


^  r  '^-^F  IF  M   L^l>  r     -F  '  F  r  ^IG 


yai  yo     we    e  we       we    ye     we     ye_        e     we  ya      yai   yo      we_      ye_ 


i 


J  J).  j.j>  iji  J'  J  i;i  I)  jj^  ji  'jij.  J  J 


yai   yo     we    e  we       we    ye     we     yc_        e      we_  ya      yai    yo      we_  a 


n.  jfn  ,  n  ^  ,  m  n  .n-n 


1 


J •    J     J J \-0- J^ «tj « 


i 


^  Ji  Ji  J  li'  F       -F    IM"   -^^ 


Ndo  mbu-lu  -  ka!       e       we 
I       am   fly  -  ing, 


ya       yai    yo       we_      ye 


I   J  Ji  J)  Ji  Ji  ^^ 


•»"^-^. 


Ndo  mbu-  lu  -  ka,  ndo  mbu-lu  -  ka!     We 
I      am   fly -ing,   I      am   f  ly  -  ing, 


b      '    I 


nsia! 


we      -      nsia! 


29231 


98  Manthiki 

Spirit-Song 
II 

The  form  of  this  song  comprises  three  distinct  sections, each  of  which  can  be  sung  any 
number  of  times  before  the  final  cry  of  "Wehsia!"  announces  the  flight  of  the  spirit, 
and  thus  the  end  of  the  song. 


Hand-claps 


Voice 


Nyam'nje-nje 
The  Bird 

Very  fast(J  =  i68) 

I    J       J       V      iJ     J      7    |7  J      J      J      ?|J    J    V   J       ,| 


ji!  J  r  p  'r  ■*  -^''^^ 


r  r  ppif! 


Nya-m'nje -nje      w'e-nda  ku   -    mba  kwa-ke,  we  ye  wo  ye 

On   home-ward    pin -ion  the       bird  flies  forth, 


J-a 


J     J     ^    iX  J     J     J     ^  iJ    J    r  J      ,5 


I 


8 


P  ir  ^  ^'i^'^g 


8 


^=^ 


1 


^ 


Nya-m'nje  -  nje       wfe  -  nda     ku     -     mba  kwa-ke,  we    ye     wo  ye 

On      home -ward     pin  -  ion     the  bird   flies  forth, 


S    J  J         V       iJ        J       7     ,7    J       J        J        ,    ,J       J       7     J 


8 


E 


^ 


m 


^ 


Nya  -  m'nje  -  nje       w"?  -  nda     ku     -     mba  krwa-ke,  we     ye     wo  ye 

On      home-ward     pin  -  ion    the  bird  flies  forth. 

(repeated  an  indefinite  nmnber  of  times) 

Note:  The  structure  of  the  above  song'  consists  in  a  melody  conforming'  absolutely  to  the 
rhythm  of  the    hong-  words  —  a  rhythm  which  I  have  sought  to  reproduce  in  the  translation. 


Hand-claps 
Higher  voice 

Lower  voice 


Fast  (J>r  176) 
A. 


8 


J  ^  n  ^ 


J — ^ — J — J — ^ — I 


|ii  ^  H  (^  F  M'  M^  (^.F  P  F  F  ^'^ 


Shi-li- ma  -  ji  -  we    ma  -  ji,  Shi-Ii-ma  -  ji -we    ma -ji, 

Wa-ter-bird    of  the     o  -  cean,         Wa-ter-bird   of  the     o  -  cean. 


j,  !i  y   i;  Ji  }■>    JI  J  7     .r  I  V   Ji  Ji  J>    J  ^    r    » 


Shi-li -ma  -  ji  -we, 
Wa-ter-bird    of  the, 


Shi-li -ma  -  ji  -we, 
Wa-ter-bird   of  the, 


29231 


99 


-0- — 0- 


■3S 


V  n  p  pi=p=^  J^  p  7  I?  J  F   jf  [T  J-^  ^mi 


Shi  -  li  -  ma  -  ji  -  we     ma  -  ji, 
Wa-ter-bird     of    the      o  -   cean, 


Shi-li  -  ma  -  ji  -  we      ma  -  ji, 
Wa-ter-bird      of    the      o  -  cean, 


7  ji  ji  J^  ii  J)  J^  [T  I  r  J'  ji  J^   J  ^^  J^   g   ii 


Shi  -  li  -  ma  -  ji  -  we     ma  -  ji, 
Wa-ter-bird     of    the      o  -  cean, 


Shi-  li  -  ma  -  ji  -  we      ma  -  ji, 
Wa-ter-bird      of    the      o  -  cean, 


Hand-claps  cease 

Moderate  time  (J  =  132) 


(repeat  any  number  of  times) 


Slow  (J  r  108) 


ippii^p  h}   i>^^^  J>t  [I  Ji>  litr-J'^lf^^ 


Shi-/i   mb'lu-ka,  mblu-ka,  shi/i     mb"lu-ka,   mb'lu-kal 
Now  thou  fli  -  est,     fli  -  est,nowthou  fli-  est,      fli  -  est! 


We-nsia!      we-nsia! 
We-nsia!      we-nsia! 


Manf/?i'ki 

Spirit-Song 
III 


Hand-claps 


Voice 


4 


In  moderate  time  (J  =  104) 

-i — J)    I  7    jl  J 


n  J 


a^^j^  F  p  P  ir    r    iL-/r  ? 


Fa  -  ma  -  lo   -   ra         nje    -     che, 
Who  lit  -  tie     ones  doth      beat,        he 


ra- 

is_ 


pa  -   no! 
here,  who 


n^    ii 


J. 


jL_i. 


^m 


ri  J 


^ 


-HI 


^ 


^ 


29231 


»a 

lit 


ma 

tie 


lo     -     »a 
ones      doth 


nje 
beat, 


che, 
he 


pa 
is 


pan 


here! 
(repeat  indefinitely) 


iOO 


Hand-claps 
Hand-claps 

Voice 


ManfAi'ki 

Spirit-Song 

IV 

Rather  quickly  ( J'  =  208) 


(t)i     -©J,   ^ — ^ 


HW 


^)!t   >J    ^' 


^8 


(I)   J^vi):(5)J      j i 


Nya  -  mu  -  zi    -     fa  wo 

He    who  know -ledge  boast 


^ 


ye,      e  -  ya,   e  - 
eth,   tru-ly,  yea, 


i. 


^ 


J. 


4. 


J ;. 


7^7^  .J 


-J. 


n^    i>    :J i. 


J    Ji  i  ^ 


f      7    I      [7    7^ 


true, 


F'a 
Yes, 


no     zi    -     fa 
he  know-  eth 


zo 
of 


ra 
oth 


mwe,       e  -  ya,     e    - 
ers,      tru  -  ly,    yea, 


(First  ending;  which  may  be  repeated  indefinitely) 

J J J X 


(Final  ending.) 


(|)^         :(|) 


-2 Ji— 4-J J 2 Hi(DJ :(|)^    ^    ^  .1 


# 


:^MKfttt 


4   i    M 


^ 


ya! 
true! 


Nya 
He 


mu  -   zi 
who   know 


ledge 


ya: 
true! 


This  song  is  usually  accompanied  first  by  only  the  first  hand-clapping.  But  excitement 
grows  as  the  song  is  repeated,  the  tempo  accelerates,  and  the  second  hand- clapping  is 
added  to  the  first.  During  its  many  repetitions  the  song  increases  in  dynamic  intensity 
until  a  climax  is  reached;  then  the  fervor  wanes,  the  tempo  becomes  slower,  the  volume  of 
voices  dies  down,  the  second  hand-clapping  ceases,  and  the  song  ends  as  it  began,  with 
single  accompaniment  of  the  first  hand-clapping. 

Most  African  dances  are  dynamic  in  character, beginning  softly  and  in  moderate  time.then 
speeding  to  a  climax,  and  at  the  end,  dying  away.  During  the  life  of  the  song  different  dance- 
steps  correspond  to  the  different  hand-clappings. 

In  the  Man/Ai'ki(Spirit-Songs)  wonderful  contrasting  effects  of  dynamic  percussion-sounds 
are  made  by  striking  the  hands  in  different  ways,  sometimes  arching  the  hands  in  cup  - 
like  formation,  whicii  gives  a  deep  hollow  sound,  again  striking  the  hands  flat  together 
with  a  hard,  dry  smack.  For  instance,  a  very  common  ManMi'ki  rhythm  is  thus  clapped. 


(repeat  iyidefitn'fcfy) 


hollow  hands 
right   hand 
uppermost. 

29231 


hollow  hands 
left  hand 
uppermost. 


hollow  hands 
right  hand 
uppermost. 


flat  slaps 


101 


Zu'mbo  1^0  lu'do 

Son^  of  Love 

(Also  used  as  a  Dance-Song, 
in  which  case  it  is  usually  ac- 
companied by  hand-clapping. 
The  dance  is  slow  and  dignified.) 


Hand-claps 
or  drum 

Women 


Men 


In  moderate  time  (J  =84) 


X 


-a-i 


J- 


'I  <,  ju^  J  I  i!  p-    ji.  J  ji  ^m 


A       ndi  -  na 
Give   me      my 


wa 

own, 


ngru,  Mu  -  zi  -  ya,  A 

0       Mu  -  zi  -  ya,  Give 


^^ 


^ 


wa 
Owii, 


P      1   F 


ng-u, 
0 


M'zi-  ya, 
M'zi  -ya, 


f 


^ 


i. 


_3_ 

8 


JV'^    ^    ^'  JHJ  s^  W'  I^p    ^    ^^ 


ndi  -  na     wa-ng"u,  M"zi-ya,  A  ndi  -  na     wa-ng-u,  M'zi-ya, 

me     my    own,   0     M'zi-ya,         Give       me     my    own,  0      M'zi-ya, 


^S 


it 


^ 


i 


^ 


M'zi-ya, 
M'zi-ya, 


M'zi-ya, 
M'zi-ya, 


*J- 


8 


^ 


^^ 


3 


'h  k>  j) 


3 


^ 


J  i'  » 


f 


A-ha!  A       ndi  -  na  wa 

G  ive    me      my  own , 


ng-u,  Mu  -  zi  -  ya,  A 

0       Mu  -  zi   -  ya.  Give 


fc 


S 


^^ 


^ 


^ 


P      '7    F 


A-ha! 


A 

ndi 

-  na 

wa 

ngu. 

M'zi  -  ya. 

Give 

me 

my 

own, 

0 

M'zi  -  ya. 

*  An  ejaculation,  half-sighed, half-spoken,  not  really  sung  on  any  given  note. 
29231 


108 


8 


jt^    ^    ^'  i^Ji  J!  »  ^'    l^(!    g    J'  J^^J  J^  ^       11 


ndi  -  ne     wa- nefu.M'zi-ya,  A  ridi-na    wa  -  ng-u.M'zi-ya, 

me     my    own,  0     M'zi-ya,  Give        me    my    own    0     M'zi-ya, 


fflf^ 


^ 


i 


w 


^ 


s 


p^ 


M'zi-ya, 
M'zi-va, 


M'zi-ya, 
M'zi-ya, 


^ 


J- 


4 


I  i{  ^>  }> 


8 


4 


^ 


E 


=3= 


i^ 


^ 


f'       J      7- 


A      ndi  -   na 
Give  me      my 


A-ha! 


^HBi 


wa      -      npTu,  Mu  -  zi  -  ya,  A 

own,  0       Mu  -  zi  -  ya,  Give 


^^^ 


S 


fe 


i 


^^ 


^^^ 


A-ha! 


A      ndi  -  na 

wa 

ng-u. 

M'zi  -  ya, 

Give  me      my 

own, 

0 

M'zi  -  ya, 

1 i- 


J. 


s 


^ 


f-jl    ^'    ^HJ  Jv^^^Mif 


E 


^E^ 


^^ 


8 


^l.>i> 


:4 


ndi  -  na    wa -ng"u, M'zi-ya,        A        ndi-na    wa- ng"u, M'zi-ya, 
me    my  own,  0     M'zi-ya,      Give     me    my   own,    0     M'zi-ya, 


^^ 


^ 


i 


A-ha  I 


;r  ^  ^  |ji'\''(! 


^ 


^ 


M'zi-ya, 
M'zi-ya, 


M'zi-ya, 

M'zi-ya, 


A-ha! 


[Repeated  an  indefinite  number  of  times , ending  with  the  final  ejaculation,  "A-ha!"j 


S9S31 


Mafuve 

Dance  of  Girls 
Not  fast  (J  =63) 


103 


Voice 


j'/iii;  Ji|^  J  : Jjijjj^  ^J'l^  ii  :JJ'jjj^  ^.^ 


E  -  yo  -we,    we  yowe  i-ye 
A-  las,  0       weyo-ffe  i-ye 


e  -  yo-we,    wnyoive  i-ye  e  - 

A  -  las,  0      we  yo  we  i-ye  A  - 


fT-.r]  ■■.m  jn^iJi  :j 


jn^ 


3^|^JI^> 


^      .     iT^d^:^ 


X 


Hand-claps 

Only  the  two  danc- 
ers can  clap  this 
clap;  though 
they  as  well  as 
the  onlookers 
may  also  clap  all 
the  other  claps. 

The  first  beat  ^ 

of  each  bar,  carrying  5" 
the  words  of  the  song  and  accented  by  the  two  emphatic  beats  of  the  dancers,  is  made  to  stand  out 
vigorously  from  the  rest  of  the  song;  the  following  syllables,accompanied  by  the  more  rapid  hand- 
clapping,  sound  somewhat  parenthetical  in  character. 


SJL, : ^ , : IZ^ , 


ft 


»"'  p  J'  :JJijijj»       i|r  ?  J^^JJjJi^  i 


yo  -  we ,       we  yo  we   i  -  ye 
las,    0  ive  yo  we   i-ye 


Kwa-mai-we!       we  yo  we   i-ye 
Moth-er's  home!   we  yo  we   i-ye 


e 
A 


fTU 


« — # 


ms 


ISTi} 


T^^ 


■Tj^ 


n-j 


"nmi 


i 


u 


m 


H^pr    PF'^rip  ^'  '^'J^Ji^ 


yo  -  we,        ye    we  _ 
las,     0  a  -  las,. 


ye  yo_     e  -  yo  -  we,       ye  yo  we    i-ye 
a- las,    a  -  las,    0!        ye  yo  we    i-ye 


>-      >■ 


^  i.n 


JT3  ^ 


UJla 


^JTJ  i 


-n. 


5 


« — y0- 


a  r~3 


rrs:/]   :^n=3  ?  irT3;jj   j^j 


*  Sometimes  this  rhythm  is  used  fur  beats  2  and  3:    ^  js   /g  ^\   ^S 
29231 


104 


e  yo-we,     weyowe  i-ye 
0    a-las,     weyowe  i-ye 


Kwa-mai nda  le  -  gfa,  yo  we  i-ye 
Left  my  mother's  home, */o  we  i  -ye 


>■        >■ 


0    » 


1  fn 


^  m 


« — • 


Ti  J    3 — t^TT^ 


m  n 


«-# 


0  0  0  0  0' 


"Eff^ 


« 


(Accompanied  by  the  same  hand-clapping  and  dance-rhythms.) 


m 


J  Ji  J>  :J  J  JJJi>    1^  J'  J'  J'  :  J    ."^ji}}^' 


e  -  we  -ye        we  yo  we  i  -  ye 
0     a-las,      we  yo  we  i-ye 


Ndo    da  kwu-mi   -    sha,    yo  we   i-ye  e 

Love  my  hus-band's  home,  yo  we   i-ye         A 


^\h  p      i<    :  JJijj,  i      1^ 


;i   j.    :  Ji  J-,   h  ^ 


*     d' 


yo   -    we 
las,       0! 


we  yo    we  ye 
we   yo    ice  ye 


kwa-mai-we,  ve  yo    we  ye 

Moth  -  er  s  home,      we  yo   we  ye 


*& 


ir"    >,  J  J  J  :  J^ 


JiJ*  'i  J  J  3^^;^i  jjij 


1^ 


Ndo    da  kwu-mi  -  sha,  yo  we  i-ye 
Love  my  husband's  home,  yo  ice  i-ye 


kwa-mai  nda    le  -  ga,    ya. 
Left  my  moth-er's  home,  ya_ 


e  we  ye 


# 


ti 


m 


J   J  J   J  J    ij    j'i';^'J'j'4'-^j    J»^'i^ 


Ndo    da  kwu  -  mi   -    sha ,    yo 
Love  my  hus-band's  home,  yo 


e   we    yo        0    ha   o  o     wa      e    ive  yo  we 

e   we    yo 


*4 


a 


O     ha    o     we     ye         ye     yo     we  0     ha    o  o      wa         e     we  yo    tee 

♦  I ,         * 


^. 


m. 


i^  ^  j  J'  •  J   i  J)  j)  I J I  j)  -  j.  j  j  J  ^  j 

0     ha    o     we     ye         ye     yo     we  0     ha    o  o      tea         e     we   yo    we 


*   Bars  marked  with  an  asterisk  are  sung  with  a  strange,  guttural,  grunting  noise. 
29231 


lOe 


j;»/»  J,  Ji  J)  :  J^j^  t     I  J    ;i  J    J  !  J    Ji  ji^ 


e  -  we  -ye        we  yo  we  i  -  ye 
0     a -las,      we  yo  we   i-ye 


Kwa-mai  nda    le   -    g-a,    yo  we   i-ye 
Left  my  moth-er's    home,  yo  we  i-ye 


Ndo    da  kwu-mi  -  sha,    yo  we  i-ye 
Love  my  husband's  home,  yo  we  i-ye 


e  we  i-ye     t    ye  t  we  yo  we  e 


j'/t  ^  Jiji   :Jji^-^i      Ijjtjtjiijljl^   jji^ 


1     we  yo         we  yo  we  i    ye 


e    we    1  -  ye       t     ye  t     we  yo  we 


j'«^<  ^  ;^i>  :i'j^jJi>    I ^^tMJ J^TT'i ^^ J' i 


1     ye  ye         vye  yo  wi   t    ye 


1    we    1    ye      t     ye e    we  yo  we 


|¥»  ^  Ji  ji  i  j,  i^^j  t    I  p  ji-XU'  J  J  J  > 


1     we  ye toe   yo  we   ye 


* 


tf 


<;     we  yo   we 

End 


Kwa-maindale  -  ga,     e    ya,    e  weyowe  Ndo  dalswn-mi  -  sha,    e    ya     eweyowe! 
Left  my  mothers  home,yes, yes,  0  a-las.    Love  my  husband's  home,yes,yes,  0  a-las! 


Note.  Any  phrase  or  group  of  phrases  of  this  song  may  be  repeated  an  indefinite  number  of 
times,  so  the  song  may  be  sung  for  an  hour,  or  an  hour  and  a  half,  steadily.  There  is  no 

prescribed  order  for  the  sequence  of  words,  or  of  phra'ses,  though  the  above  gives  all  the  dif- 
ferent Words  and  phrases  used,  and  the  proper  ending. 

Though  the  four  different  kinds  of  hand-clapping  are  here  written  out  consecutively 
(for  the  sake  of  claritj'),  no  one  person  claps  the  same  rhythm  throughout  the  song,    but  may 
clap  for  two  or  three  bars  in  one  way  and  then  for  two  or  three  bars  another,    interchanging 
at  will.  A  chorus  of  clapping,  composed  of  all  four  rhythms  sounding  at  the  same  time,  is  al- 
ways heard,  however,  as  soon  as  the  song  is  well  under  way.   The  second  clap:    •! ^  ^  j\  -.  - ^ 

is  clapped  only  by  the  two  dancers,  though  these  may  vary  this  kind  of  clapping  with  the  oth- 
er three  kinds. 


29231 


106 


Children's  Songs 


Not  fast  (J  =  60) 


"Mu-to-to-irie" 

"Drip-drop  the  Rain" 


«  uvJ'iff  J  J)  i  .n  JjJ'lp  i'  J  Jii  3  11  i^ 


f 


f 


To -to   li  -  le,  mi^'lang-a  i- ne,    To-io  li  -  le,     ma-ka-ndwaa  -    za-le,    To- 
"To- to','pourdown,rain,let  it  rain,"To-toVpourdown,let  all  the  pools  befull,"To- 


to  li  -  le,      ti  -  zo  bu-mwi  -  la     mwo;  To  -  to    li  -  Ic,     ti  -ba   -  ye  ma-che-che. 


zo  bu-mwi  -la     mwo;  To  -  to    li  -  le,     ti-ba   -  ye  ma-che-che. 
to','pourdown,and  we  will  swim  there  -  in;    "To  -  to','pourdown,we  spear  the  red  bull-frog. 

II 


"Cha-Koinba,  Ko'inba" 

Hopping  Song 
Rather  quickly  (J  =  iie) 


Cha-ko-mba,Ko-mba,  cfhamWAa-li- la,     Cha-ko-mba,ko-mba,   Cha  m'n^Aa-li 


Cha-ko-mba.ko-mba,  ChamWAa-li- la,     Cha-ko-mba,ko-mba,   Cha  mWAa-li  -  la! 
Cha-ko-mba,ko-mba,  Hop -ping  we  go,     Cha-ko-mba,ko-mba,   Hop-ping  we  go! 

*    tA  is  not  pronounced  as  in  English.   The  t  is  followed  by  an  aspirate  A. 

Ill 

Muiii'li  Zu'ma,  Zu'ina 

Drying  Song 

A  rhythmic  chant,  spoken  rather  than  sung 
Rather  quickly  (J  =  116) 

I  ;    J>    J>    J> 


I  J) J> } } hJ — ^ — J- 


Mu   -    ui    -     li,         zu 
Bo    -    dy,       bo    -    dy. 


ma,       zu    -    ma! 
dry      off      quick! 


Mu  -   vi    -    li,         zu 
Bo   -    dy,       bo    -    dy, 


J)    J)    J I  ^     J>    J I  ^     J)    J I  i>    i>    J>    ]> 


ma,     zu  -  ma! 
dry     off    quick! 


Ka   -    si   -    la. 
Quick  -  ly      now, 


ka    -     si 
quick  -   ly 


la. 
now. 


Mu  -  vi  ■ 
Bo  -  dy, 


bo 


zu  - 


J)    i>    J I   ^      J-       I   ^      J- I  J>    j>    .t*    ;    I   >    ^^    J 


ma,   zu  -  ma!  0    -    mai,  0    -    mai, 

dry   off  quick!      You're  dry,  you're   dry. 


Mu  -  i;i  -  li,     zu 
Bo  -  dy,   bo  -  dy. 


ma,  zu  -  ma! 
dry  off  quick! 


This  little  chant  offers  a  striking  example  of  the  way  in  which  accents  on  African  words 
chanted  or  sung,  are  different  from  those  given  to  the  same  words  when  used  in  common 
speech.  This  custom  of  changing  the  accent  (producing  in  the  singer's  mind  a  sort  of  verbal 
syncopation)  is  analogous  to  the  way  in  which  the  American  Negro  changes  the  accents  of 
the  English  language  when  singing.  (See  foreword  to  Book  H,  Negro  Folk-songs.) 
S9231 


Laboring  Song  No.  I 

.* 

(Also  used  as  a  Dance-Song) 

"Kwae'ja  no  makashot'" 
"Day  dawns  with  freight  to  haul" 
Sung  on  the  shipping  docks. 


107 


Higher  voices 


Lower  voices 


Hand-claps 

and  dance-steps 

(group  I.) 

Hand-claps 
and  dance-steps 

(group  II.) 


Rhythmic  and  spirited , with  broad,swinging  movement  ( *  =  los ) 


^ 


m 


^ 


Kwae-ja       no      ma  -  ka-shot,      e-ya,    e-ya,  kwae-ja      no 
Day  dawns  with  freight  to  haul,     e-ya     e-ya,    Day  dawns  with 


.'nVijr  f  (!  IF  p  r  iF  (t  p  [!  ir  r 


Kwae-ja       no       ma-  ka-bhnt,      e-ya,    e-ya,  kwae-ja       no 
Day  dawns  with  freight  to  haul,      e-ya,    e-ya,    Day  dawns  with 


U    J 


J ^-J — J — J—i. 


?  7   JT    J 


-SH 


I 


^^•       i^    I  i>        i) 


m 


-  ka-shot,        ji   -   ka  ma-la 


^^ 


ma 
freight  to     haul. 


ka  ma-la  -  ka!    kwac  -  ja        no      ma  -  ka-shot, 
Look  for  the  la-bel!     Day    dawns  with  freight  to   haul. 


^ 


fe 


F  H  c  ii  ir 


I 


m= 


^m 


E 


ma  -   ka  -  shot , 
freight  to     haul, 


ji    -    ka  ma -la  -  ka!    kwae  -  ja         no       ma   -  ka-shot, 
Look  for  the  la-bel!     Day    dawns  with  freight  to   haul, 


J-^ 


J J- 


^     i 


Ju. 


(>  J)  i'  >  I J   Ji.  J  Ui  ff  r     I ;;  J  J  J  •''  ^i 

e  -  ya,    e  -  ya,      kwae-  ja        no        ma  -   Ka-shot,  ii  -  ka  ma-la  -ka! 


e  -  ya,    e  -  ya,      kwae-  ja        no        ma  -   ka-shot, 
e-ya,   e-ya.       Day   dawns  with  freight  to   haul. 


ji  -  ka  ma-la  -  ka! 
Look  for  the  la  -bel! 


HK  ''MP 


fe 


r    n  P    P    :|l 


£ 


p 


e-ya,   e-ya,      kwae  -  ja       no        ma  -  ka-shot, 
e  -  ya,    e  -  ya.        Day  dawns  with  freight  to    haul, 


ji  -  ka  ma-la  -  ka! 
Look  for  the  la-bel! 


J J. 


J-U 


J I 


-J. 


:s 


a^ 


^    i 


(repeated  any  number  of  times) 

*  When  used  as  a  rtance-song',  this  song  is  called  "Nthoko'do"("dance"): 
**  The  various  rhythms  of  this  second  group  may  be  used  in  any  order  the  dancer  wishes. 


108 


Laboring  Chant 


This  is  a  rhythmic  chant  of  a  group  of  laborers  pulling  or  pushing  heavy  things.  The 
native  foreman  calls  out  "Ka'nye,  Mado'da!"  "All  together,  men!"  Then  the  men  as  they 
push  or  pull  say  "Hai-wetu!"  syllables  which  are  not  real  words  with  a  definite  mean- 
ing, but  a  rhythmic  expression  which  corresponds  to  "Heave  ho!"  The  words  "Ka'nye 
mado'da"  are  Zulu. 


Foreman 


Men 


Rather  slowly  and  with  great  emphasis  (J  =92) 


^ 


m 


i 


^ 


^ 


Ka  -   nye,     ka     -      nye! 
Come     on,     come  on! 


^ 


^     \]   y    i 


Hai  -  wet'! 
Heave    ho ! 


3E 


ka   -    nye, 
Come     on 


h  1  1  }i  \  ,i 


i 


^ 


^ 


ka-nye, ma-do    -     dal 
all    to-geth-er,        men! 


Ka  -  nye,  ka    -    nye! 
Come    on,  come       on! 


\]    h  y     i 


}]    \]y  I 


Hai -wet"! 
Heave   ho ! 


Hai -wet'! 

Heave  ho! 


*  The  foreman's  voice  drops  in  a  long  downward  slur.  The  notes  are  not  always  a  pure  major 
third,  the  phrase  hoinsT  n^erely  a  rhythmic  call  to  the  men  rather  than  a  song.      The  ejaculation 
"Hai-wet'l"  while  pulling  or  pushing  is  spoken,  not  sung. 

Laboring  Song  No.n 

Ma'le  Kambe'n' 
Money  in  Kamben' 

Not  fast,  but  ■with  sweeping  rhythmic  force  ( J  =  88) 


1st  group 
of  singers 


2d  group 
of  singers 


Ma      -      le 


^ 


Ka  -  mben', 
Mon-ey      in    Ka  -  mben', 


1^ 


^ 


Ma    r     le   Ka- 
Mon-ey    in  Ka  ■ 


i 


Wai-zwa    ndi  -  yan? 
Who   told    you      that? 


m 


freely 


ssz 


v  m 


mben'!     Ti      no  -  da      ku-sha  -  nda      t'e       -       nde  ka-nyi!  Ma  -  le, 

mben'!  Then  work  with    a     will       to       earn  and    go   home!  Mon  -  ey, 


^ 


* 


it  >     F   F    F   F^ 


t'e       -       nde  Ra 


t 


^ 


Ti      no  -  da      ku-sha 
Then  work  with    a     will 


29231 


nda 

to       earn  and    go    home! 

*  This  must  be  half  spoken 


nyi! 


in  timff 


109 


J 


^ 


Ma      -        ie       Ka  -    mbcn', 
Mon-ey        in       Ka    -    mben', 


^ 


J'.  J  II  .y 


Ma       -        le 
Mon-ey         in 


Ka 

Ka 


^^ 


>' 


M^ai  -  zwa     ndi 
Who     told     you 


yan? 
that? 


slower 


^ 


[T     [T     p    (T   J^^^ 


=¥=g 


Pf 


E 


r 


mben',  Ti      no-  da     ku-sha-nda  t'e     -      nde  ka-nyi!  Ma  -    le! 

mberf.Then  work  with  a    will    to  earn  and  go  home!      0         mon      -      ey! 

I 1       I  r 1      ' 1  I 1 


ii>    I?  p  p  M  ^'i^[^  r  ;^7J 


Ti      no      da  -  ku-sha  -  nda 
Then  work  with  a    will    to 


fe     -      nde  ka-nyi! 
earn  and  go  home! 


I 


1  ii'i  ' 


n 


^ 


P 


4  J    |y  [y  [T  f^  J^ 


* 


in  time 


Ma-  le,    ma     -     le     Ka    -    mben'.  Ti      no-  da     ku-sha-nda 
Mon-ey,  mon-ey     in     Ka    -    mben'.  Then  work  with  a    will    to 

r 1       I 


~i 


1 


i^    ^,   F   ^  H  ^ 


^1 


Wai  -  zwa   ndi  -yan? 
Who    told    you  that? 


Ti      no  -  da     ku-sha  -  nda 
Then  work  with  a    will    to 


# 


3d  group 


slower,  in  free  rhythm 


^g 


f=r 


=^=^=^ 


t'e     -       nde  ka-nyi!       I      ma  -  le 
earn  and    go  home!  0     mon-ey, 

1 :: 1 


nyi! 
mon 


ey!        2d  group 
in  time 


^^ 


^ 


^ 


* 


rr 


t'e 


a-nyi! 


earn  and   go  home! 
1st  group 


Wai  -  zwa    ndi  -  yan? 
Who    told    you      that? 


1st  and  3d  groups,  together 


m 


^^ 


^^    ^U  U^   ^^i  ^  (/' J'i'^^ 


Ma    -      le     Ka    -     mben'.     Ti      no  -  da     ku-sha-  nda    t'e      -      nde  ka-nyi! 
Mon-ey     in     Ka    -     mben'.  Then  work  with  a    will    to     earn  and  go    home! 
2d  group  


^ 


m 


£ 


Ti     no  -  da     ku-sha-nda    t'e     -      nde  ka-nyi! 
Then  work  with  a    will    to     earn  and  go    home! 


*  Long-drawn  portamento,  no  di.stinct  ttmes  heard.  It  is  simply  a  long  call  beginning  un  D,and  sliding 
down . 

This  song  may  be  repeated  an  indefinite  number  of  times  and  the  word  "ma'le"  mav  be  sung  in  any 
of  tilt"  ways  indicated,  varying  the  order  with  the  different  repetitions.  The  singers  usually  end 
with  the  phrase  "ti  noda  kusha'nda  ti  ende  kahyi." 


39231 


110 


Pwi'ta 

Dance-Song 

Dance-songs  accompanied  by  the  "Pwi'ta",  a  certain  kind  of  drum,  are  called  "Pwi'ta" 


Women 

Men 

Hand-clap 
Hand-clap 

Hand-clap 

"Pwi'ta" 
(Drum) 


(J  =84) 


4 
2 


4 

2 


non  legato 


P 


— I  legato 

i'  I  i'  J  i  J   J  J  J 


E  we        e    we        ye. 


Ku  m'se-ng-e  -  le     wa  Lu  - 
To  ham-mock  now  for   Lu  - 


T3  S~} — v-Tl- 


#*r 


-f  -t  ii  r^ — kj — jL_j 


y  V  j)  j-j — ^^ 


^^m 


l[^ 

=fp 

— fe- 

-Tf^ — :f^ 

^ 

K 

1 

—f^ \ 

— s — 

#= 

J' 

nde! 
nde! 

we 

will 

-WJ — Ji 

sa  -    lo 
you     tar 

-  we, 

-  ry, 

Le 

Le 

-  nda? 

-  nda? 

b^ 

J        J 

Wo!_ 
forte 

.%         JL 

E 

-*^ 

_^ 



-J> 

J --I 

-V         1 

1 — ^ — ^ ' f — ■ — 1 

\ 

Wo!_ 

0 

E 

1 

3 

1 

J^ 

J 

T" 

■^ 

r 

J 

r" 

J                , 

M 

'     ^ 

5 

i 

r 

■^ 

y 

J                , 

I 

7 

1 

j^ 

J 

J"" 

J 

J           . 

r' 

• 
1 

*  Though  these  different  kinds  of  hand-clapping:  are  written  separately  for  the  sake  of  clarity,     they 
are  interchangeable;  the  singers  clap  as  they  choose,  varying  the  rhythm  according  to  their  fancy. 

**  This  rhythm  is  identical  with  the  rhythm  of  the  Spanish  "Habanera','  and  through  the  Spaniards  is 
prevalent  in  Mexico  and  South  America.  As  the  name  indicates,  the  "Habanera"  came  from  Havana. 
The  rhythm  may  have  been  learned  by  the  Spaniards  from  the  blacks;       it  is  also  found  among  the 
Moors  and  the  Arabs  and  is  common  in  North  Africa.    See  interrelation  of  Semitic  and  Negro  cul- 
tures, page  xiv. 
29231 


Ill 


non  legato 


(Here  the  voices  of  the  women  sound  out  loud  above  those  of  the  men) 
legato  . —=== — .  legato 


r'pr  MJ  JijJJj     .m;   JJJJgn  jj 


fT 


we       e    we       ye Ma-ndi-ba-ye  we 

Ma-ndi-ba-ye 


ye- 


Ma-ndi-ba-ye  we  _    Le-nda? 
Ma-ndi-ba-ye  you  and  Le  -  nda? 


(Here  the  voices  of  the  men  sound  out  loud  above  those  of  the  women) 

legato 


yaweyaya   e  ya  — 


Ku       m^e-nge-le    wa  Lu-nde!we  sa    -     lo    -    we,_     Le-nda? 
To       ham-mocknowfor  Lu-ndelwillyou      tar  -   ry,_     Le-nda? 


J"J       1^^ 


r^ — 3 


J  i^n  ij 


4- 


X 


r"*" 


J~3   iJ)J 


sS 


^ 


^^ 


3 


non  legato 


legato 


^m 


_      Wo! 


ya  we   ya     ya     e    ya_ 


Ku  m'se-ngfe  -  le    wa   Lu 
To  ham-mock  now  for    Lu 


-i:^ 


J- 


J  '  ^ 


-i- 


-J- 


-I  r 


71  J 1  J^l  J J^  I  J)  J 


*r-  7     J> 


^ 


The"Pwita"  has  still  other  rhythmic  variants  than  those  here  recorded,  the  player  making 
them  up  at  his  pleasure;  sometimes  he  ceases  to  play  for  a  bar  or  two,  when  the  hole  in  the 
rhythmic  accompaniment  made  by  his  pause,  and  the  sudden  forceful  beginning  again,  are 
most  effective  and  dramatic. 


29281 


112 


\i  J' ji  Ji  jj^^^ 


non  legato 
I 


-1  I — 5 ' 


nde!  we  sa-lo -we,  Le-nda? Wo! 

nde!willyoutar-ry,  Le-nda? .    ^ 

■'  ■'  forte 


we 


e  we  ye 


nde!  we  sa- lo -we,  Le-nda? Wo!  E  ya   Ma-ndi-ba-ye  we  Le  -  ni 


nde!  we  sa-  lo  -we,  Le-nda?_ 
nde  I  will  you  tar- ry,  Le-nda?_ 


ya   Ma-ndi-ba-ye  we  Le  -  nda, 
Ma-ndi-ba-ye  and  Le-nda, 

I -, 1 


J    '    ^ 


T~l    J     3    I  J)    J 


r~3   J n- 


v  car  £f jf-J 


9         Jt n_ 


J^iijjjj-i  rj*   ^        -Tl.     ] 


e  yo     we  ye we   sa-lo -we,  Le-nda? W 


non  legato  

r-T- 1    ■     s     \ 


^ 


S 


S 


we   sa-lo -we,  Le-nda? Wo! 

will  you  tar-ry,  Le-nda? 


legato 


E      we      e   we      ye 


?~~i     '     5 — I 


'f  PMC  H^^  P  f'  ^  ^  ^^ 


ff    FiFFfiM 


i 


Ku  m'se  -  nge -le  wa  Lu-nde!  we  sa- lo -we,  Le-nda? Wo!  E      yaweyaya  e  ya 

To  hammock  nowfor  Lu-nde!willyou tar-ry,  Le-nda? 


n 


^ 


-^ — 4- 


n  J' }n 


""a — I 


I — I ' 


I    .»     I 


J     !<  ri  J   }n  J  :>n 


J)  J 


-^TT^ 


•S — h 


y  ^  i^  J     -N I  r  r  r  irr^-   h  i  *  -i'  i  p  *  -f^: 


29281 


113 


Ics'ato 


jgii  J  i  ji  J  iii  i  i  Ji  i  jj,  I J  3_j 


Ndi-ni  wo  kwe-nda kwa  Lu  -  nde,  we    sa- lo -we,  Le-nda?_ 
I     am  go-ing  off   to    Lu  -  nde.willyoutar- ry,  Le-nda?_ 


Wo! 


E 


ff  g  M  H'   1^^^      ^  1 


p"-  F  ?  g  I?  ?  I?  g  i;  1 1? 


Ndi-ni   wo  kwe-nda  kwa  Lu  -  nde,  we    sa  -  lo  -  we,  Le  -  nda?- 
I     am  go-ing  off   to     Lu  -  nde, will  you  tar- ry,   Le-nda?_ 


Wo! 


1. 


J- 


j)        J 1 


E 


J        J)    J 


4. 


-j)  J — 3  I J  ^  r^ 


^ 


T~3   J 


J — /^  m  t4 — ju 


')•  ■<    J) 


11.     li 


non  legato 


_      3 


legato 


jrj     J>|_^JiJLJijLjL^J_j)J  J)J,  ji  j^,  I^JjJ     3 


we         e    we     ye Fo-ya ya-ng"u-yo  we,^   ye we   sa-lo-we,  Le-nda?_   Wo! 

A  fo-ya  will  be  mine,  too, _willyoutar-ry,  Le-nda?_ 


^Ftf  p  r  ^pTff  pm 


i;  [?'  I '^ M  H  I?  ?  IF 


^ 


i» — ^ 


^2 


yaweyayaeya Fo-ya ya-ng^u-yo  we,   ye we   sa-lo-we,  Le-nda? Wo! 

A  fo-ya  will  be  mine,  too, willyoutar-ry,  Le-nda?_ 


J Jin  iQ- 


l 


J — 3 


« m- 


S^ 


J     i)r3  iJ 


7. 


J- 


J-J^O- 


/73J  /3 


I 5 1 


J rr^  J in  ^ 


*>•  grrorJJ-  h  ^ 


^ 


J)  7    ■'^  II 


J  3 


These  phrases,  repeated  ad  libitum  (not  necessarily  in  the  order  here  given),may  be  sung  o- 
ver  and  over  again  as  often  as  the  dancers  choose.  The  song  may  be  begun  anywhere,  and 
ended  anywhere. 


»9231 


114 


Higher  voices 


i 


Lower  voices 


Hand-clapping 

Rhythm  of 
dancing  feet 


Dance  Song 
II 

Chamale'bt;u 
The  Long  Beard 

Not  fast,  very  rhythmically  (J  =126) 


*2 


^^ 


1—7—1 


f 


f 

chi 


^ 


I 1        r 


^ 


Ma -man  'a  -  mi-na,    chi-ng'o  -  da,    Ma-man   'a  -   mi-na,  e 

Moth  -  er,    mother  mine,  a  bird  -  snare!  Moth-er,  moth-ermine, 


m 


*3  _ 


& 


I    »■ 


f=^ 


J  J    7  J    J i. 


J  J    y  J — J i- 


^ 


o  Ao    -    o    Cha-ma-le  - 

o  fio    -    o  That  long  beard, 

J ^^ J , 


-J J-^^ — t 


*4 


t 


^ 


1      i-^— 1      r 


I 1 


i 


^ 


^ 


^ 


£ 


* 


^ 


?<'«       yt'      /(v    I/O     ice      Chi-ng"o  -  da.        Da   -    dan    'a    -    mi-na, 

A  bird  -  snare,     Fa  -    ther,  fa  -  ther  mine, 


m, 


1 


^^=^ 


bru,       /id 
0  /id 


o        Chi-ng-o 
A  bird 


o 


da! 

snare! 


ffo  ho       Cha-ma  -  le, 

Eii  /id     That  long  beard. 


4t # 


J J- 


J- 


J i- 


-i- 


-i- 


*1  Notes  marked  ^^^^^  are  sung  with  a  blurred  slur,  without  distinct  pitch,  though  the  rhythm  of 
three  tones  is  heard  because  of  the  words. 

*2  This  note  is  higher  than  G,  though  not  as  high  as  Gf. 

*3  The  syllables  "6  ho" are  pronounced  as  in  the  German  language:  They  are  sung  with  a  tone 
of  voice  called  by  the  Africans  "magombe'la',' which  is  a  deep  guttural  sound  made  by  pressing 
the  back  of  the  tongue  far  down  on  the   larynx. 

*4  The  triplets  here  are  quarters. 


29231 


I — T 


s 


fa'=|F» 


^ 


f 


^ 


P 


115 


Ma   -   man    'a    -  mi-na,      Chi-ngro  -    da,       Ma  -  man  'a    -     mi-na,  e 

Moth   -    er,     moth-er  mine,      a  bird  -  snare,  Moth  -  er,  moth  -  er  mine, 

r— — *1 

I       3 1      I Z 1  m    ^~^       f^   •? 


P^^ 


*  Ma   -   man   'a   -  mi-na,      Chi-ng-o   -  da.       Ma  -   man  'a    -    mi-na. 

Moth    -   er,     moth-er  mine,      a  bird  -  snare.  Moth  -  er,  moth  -  er  mine. 


J 


J i. 


J. 


J- 


J I 


J. 


J L 


*2 


^5 


^ 


^ 


^ 


7ce        ye 

^~3 1 


tve  yo      we       Chi-ngTo   -  da.       ndc  -  ta      zo  -  ku  -  di-ni. 
A  bird  -  snare.  What,    O    -what  shall  we   do? 


fe 


I 


^ 


J-—S- 


W 


^^ 


Da  -   dan  'a    -    mi  -  na,     Chi-nsro  -  da,       Da  -  dan    'a 
Fa  -  ther,  fa  -  ther  mine,    a  bird  -  snare,     Fa  -  ther,  fa 


J i. 


J I 


mi-na, 
ther  mine. 


J-^ 


rj 


'j  \ 


J 


^ 


^  •  ^     I       r    .V      I 


h  liiJ     J) 


r    r  '  "'i 


^ 


^ 


?<'e  i/<'      we  yo    we       Chi-ngo    -   da,         nde  -  ta    i:o  -  ku  -  di-ni. 

A  bird  -   snare!  What,     0  what  shall  we    do? 

I a 1 


^ 


r  H  ^r  p  r    F  ' '    ^  p  ^  i^  '   ^; 


7oe  ye      xve  yo    we       Chi-ng"o   -    da,  nde  -   ta    zo  -  ku  -  di  -  ni. 

A  bird  -   snare!  What,     O  what  shall  we    do? 


-J I 


J i 


J  J 


:l-^ 


J— X 


*1    Higher  than  E,  but  not  as  hig-h  as  F. 
*2    As  before,  triplets  here  are  quarters. 


29231 


116 


J 


1~i 


Sa  -   la  -  nyi 


H     f 


J    '  Jm  .h    il   JE 


ia  -   la -nyi,  sa  -  la  -   nyi,     Chi-ngro  -  da,       sa  -  la-nyi,niu  -  chi-mwa, 
Fare-thee-well,fare-well    now,     0  bird  -  snare,  fare-thee-well, drink, fare-well, 

r 


m 


mm 


"7~i      r 


t 


1 


r 


n 


p.r    P 


^ 


it 


Sa  -    la  -  nyi,  sa  -  la  -    nyi,     Chi-ng'o  -  da,        sa  -  ia-nyi,mu   -   chi-mwa, 
Fare -thee-w'ell,fare -well    now,     0  bird  -  snare,  fare-thee-well, drink, fare-well, 


^ 


-|       r 


^ 


S 


^ 


?       ^      ^ 


^ 


^ 


^ 


«M «l 


Sa  -  la-nyi,  sa  -  la  -   nyi,  Chi-ng"o  -  da!        Ka     kwe-nda    ku-no,  Cha-ma  -  le  - 
Fare-thee-well, fare-well    now,    O  bird-  snare!    Now     I      go      a-way, Long-beard, Long- 


>j:  ff   M  i^    r  r '  f  f    fa 


"1     r 


i 


P 


^^ 


ku-no, 


Sa  -  la-nyi,  sa    -    la-nyi,  Chi-ng'o  -  da!        Ka    kwe-nda    ku-no,  Cha-ma  -   le  - 
Fare -thee-well, fare  -  well  now,    0  bird-  snare!    Now     I      go      a -way.  Long-beard, Long- 


bwu!    /^o      o     Chi-ng-o  -   da!     /fo       o     Cha-ma  -  le  -  buu!    Mb      6     Chi-ngo-da, 
beard!  ^o      b      A  bird  -  snare!  i^o       b      0  Long-beard,  0!      J/b      b      A  bird -snare. 


b«u!    Mb     b 
beard!  ffb     b 


Chi-ngo  -  da!      Mb      b     Cha-ma  -  le  -  bcu!    Mb     b      Chi-ngo 
A  bird  -  snare!  Mb      b       0  Long-beard,  0!      Mb     b       A  bird 


^ 


i>  ^  4  J  J'  ^.  ^ 


=^=^ 


Ma   -  man    'a    -    mi  -  na,       Chi-ngo 
Moth  -   er,      moth-er    mine,       a   bird 

T 


da!         Mb 
snare!     Mb 


r 


Cha-ma   -    le 
0  Long-beard, 


m^ 


^j=^ 


m 


da!  " 

snare! 


Mb 
Mb 


Cha-ma   -    le     -    bru!       Mb        b        Chi-ngo 
0    Long -beard,     0!         Mb        b         A  bird 


*  The  hand-clapping  and  dauce-rhythms  throughout  the  song  continue  with  interplay  of  the  same  rhyth- 
mic figures.  Sometimes  the  dancer  may  take  the  exact  rhythm  of  the  hand-clapping.  Again, for  the 
sake  of  variety,  the  hand-clapping  may  take  the  exact  rhythm  of  the  dance;  or,  dancers  and  clap  - 
ping  may  interchange  rhythms.  The  above  rhythmic  figures  embody  the  main  clapping  and  danc  - 
ing  rhythms  which  are  employed  at  will  throughout  the  dance. 


29331 


117 


J 


^^ 


5- 


J'  '  r   r- 


^m 


P^ 


bru!       Ho 
O!  H6 


m 


o      Chi-ngo    -    da,        Ma  -   man    'a    -    mi  -  na,      Chi-ng^o    -    da, 
o       A  bird  -  snare,  Moth  -   er,     moth-er    mine,     a   bird  -    snare, 

M « m 


-ff      f 


^ 


fc3 


da!         Jfo       u       Cha-ma     -    le     -     bi'u!  Ho  o         Chi-nf<o 

snare!     Ho       6        0    Long-  beard,      Oi  Ho  6  A  bird 


* 


r^^,         ^^^ 


^ 


E 


?^ 


^3 


« # 


Ma  -  man    'a    -    mi-na. 
Moth  -  er,   moth-er   mine. 


we      ye       we   yo     ire     Chi-ng'o   -  da, 

A  bird  -  snare. 


^ 


m^ 


p — * 


1      r 


Ej 


^^ 


> 


dal  Hu  0       Cha-ma  -   le',        we      ye       we  yo    we     Chi-ngfo  -   da, 

snare!  H<J  ci        0    Long-beard,  A  bird  -  snare. 


J 


-\       r 


^)    J)      J)       J) 


i 


^ 


^ 


^^ 


nde    -   ta      zu  -  ku   -  di  -  ni,      Cha-ma   -    le     -     b«u! 
what,     0    what  shall  we    do,       0    Long-beard,      0! 


Ho 
Ho 


o       Chi-ng-o 
o        A  bird 


>>  r    r 


^^^ 


^ 


^m 


nde  -    ta      zu  -  ku   -   di  -  ni,      Cha-ma    -    le     -     bru!        JSTo 
what,     0    what  shall  we    do,       0    Long- beard,      0!  ffd 


o        Chi-ng-o 
o  A   bird 


J 


6 


i 


^>   -     II 


i^  '  j     i 


i^  '  4    i 


^ 


• '    * 


da!        /To        o       Cha-ma  -    le    -    bvu!       Ho        o       Chi-ngo    -    da! 

snare!    Hii        ii        0    Long-beard,    0!        Hi)        '6        A  bird  -   snare! 

I — : — I     I — I 1  , — -n — I 


ffiE* 


m==^ 


f^^twY^ 


^ 


da!         HS 

snare!     H'6 


Cha-ma    -    le   -    b»u!       Ho        o 
0   Long -beard,    0!         Ho        6 


Chi-ng-o    -    da! 
A  bird  -    snare! 


The  above  notation  comprises  all  the  main  phrases  and  rhythms  of  the  song, which  can  be 
continued  indefinitely,  making  extemporaneous  changes  in  the  order  of  the  phrases  and 
in  the  putting  together  of  the  higher  and  lower  parts. 


29231 


118 


N//2oko'do 

Dance-Song' 

ni 

Sung  at  Beer-Drinking  Festivals  when  native  beerC'Kaffir  beer")  is  quaffed. 


Fast  and  spirited  (J  =  io8) 


Hand-claps 
Higher  voices 


Lower  voices 


2   •? 


1 


1 


1 


I s 1      r 


^ 


Ba    -     ba  -  I'a     lo  -  ya  -  la    ngwe  -nai-no     lu  -  ma,        i 


My  fa-ther    he     mar-ried     a  cro  -  co-dile  wife,     that 

I 3 1  I 


> 


Ba    -     ba  -  fa     lo  -  «a  -  la    nfrwe  -  naj-no     lu  -  ma,        i    - 
My  fa-ther    he    mar-ried     a  cro  -  co-dile   wife,     that 


J. 


-J- 


^ 


i. 


i. 


1       r 


^'  ^'fj'Ji^  ^f-M-  M  C  IM   F  r 


^ 


m 


ya,      i-ya  wo-ye!        Ba  -  ba  -  wa     lo  -  t)a  -  la    ng-we-naj-no     lu  -  ma,        i    - 
bites,    that  bites.         My       fa-ther   he     mar-ried    a         cro -co-dile  wife,    that 
— I  I : 


§^ 


w 


-1       r 


r^  J  i  [T  i?-T"f  p  f  I P  f  g 


|s 


ya,      i-ya  wo -ye! 
bites,    that  bites. 


Ba  -  ba  -  t>a     lo  -  ra  -  la    ngwe  -  nai-no     lu  -  ma,        i    - 
My      fa-ther    he    mar-ried    a  cro^- co-dile  wife,     that 


bites,         that_      bites 


bites,        that. 


bites. 


*  The"h"  in  this  word  is  aspirate;  the  th  is  not  sounded  as  in  English,  but  is  pronounced  t ,' 
followed  by  an  aspirate  h. 
#*A11  NMoko'do  songs  (heer-drinking  songs)  have  the  same  rhythm.  These  are  the  only  dance- 
sungs  with  this  particular  rhythm. 
29231 


"Kufa'mba" 

("To  Walk") 
Mocking-Song 


119 


Not  too  fast  (J  :  10  i) 

Hand- claps       , ^  ^   i  J  7    J  7 l^ 

4 


Dance-steps 
(continue  throughout) 


-+- # 


2  7^   |7  JTJ 


]  i7  m 


^y^^T^J.^j4^^.^ 


K  I    >■    K  i   ^  1^  I 


it^ 


Ku  -  f a  -  mba  mu    ka-  de-ya     mbu-du  -  mbi?  e  -  ya,  e-ya,     Ku- 
To  walk  thus,  are  these  the  ways  of    man-hood?  0     yes,  0  yes,    To 


**  r 


^^'      '^'    I    J         ■^^    J     °    P      I   J  p        J'     I    J^     i'    J      ^P 


ta    -     mba     mu        ka  -    de-ya        mbu  -  du     -    mbi?    e    -     ya,    e  -  ya,  e 

dance     thus,    are      these    the  ways      of       man  -  hood?  0        yes,    0   yes,  e 


s 


T=t: 


r   p-  J  I J    Jl  ^ 


rOTT 


f=F 


we     ye. 

we     ye. 


ve 


e  -    we_  ye,  mbu-du   -   mbi,    e   -   we     ye,  Ku  -  fa  -   mba   mu 
e  -   we_  ye,  of      man -hood,  e   -  we     ye.  To  walk  thus,  are 


fe 


p  I J    f!-j4^  J^J)7-JN    ^ 


^ 


g 


f 


ka  -  de-ya      mbu-pu-n/Aa?  e  -  ya,  e-ya,     Ku  -  ta  -  mba  mu     ka  -  de-ya     mbu- 
these  the  ways   of     mai-dens?  0     yes,  0  yes,     To  dance  thus,  are  these  the  ways  of 


-flL 


^^^^^m 


^m 


^ 


=» 


pu-  n^a?   e  -  ya,  e-ya,    e  -   we    ye. 
mai-dens?  0     yes,  0  yes,    e  -  we    ye. 


ye        e  -   we_  ye,  mbu-pu-nMa,  e 
ye         e  -    we_  ye,    of     mai-dens,  e 


^ 


r^— I 


h   I  1)  J^  i    ^    II 


^^ 


we     ye,   Ku  -  fa  -  mba  mu      ka  -   de-ya      mbu-pu-n/Aa?    e   -    ya,    e-ya! 
we      ye.  To    walk  thus,  are    these  the  ways    of     mai-dens?  0      yes,  0  yes! 


The  above  musical  phrases  may  be  repeated  any  number  of  times,  and  different  verbs 
may  be  substituted  for  "Kufa'mba"  and  "Kuta'mba"  (to  walk  and  to  dance).  If  sung  to  de  - 
ride  a  boy  only,  the  word  "mbudu'mbi"  (manhood)  would  be  used  throughout  the  song,  o  - 
mitting  the  word"mbupu'nMa"  (girlhood),  which  is  here  inserted  in  the  last  part  of  the  song 
to  show  where  it  falls  in  the  music  when  the  song  is  sung  of  (or  at)  a  girl. 

*    All  "Mocking-Songs"  have  the  same  rhythm. 

**  This  variant  may  be  used,  in  the  repetitions  of  the  song,  interchangeably  with  the  corre  - 
spending  bar  in  the  first  verse. 


89231 


130 


Chililo 

Lament 

Sung  with  plaintive  melancholy  and  long-drawn  portamento 


Very  slowly  and  softly  (J  =  eo) 

V^ 1 1  r 


■portamento        port. 


¥ 


^m 


Ndi  -  no     m'wa-na     pi  i  -  nga   Ba-la   -   nku,_ 

Whereshall    I       find   one       like    to      Ba-la   -   nku,. 


Ma  -  i, 
Moth-er, 


r  r  r  r  i'^"^^    r  'r 


« — » 


i   -    ng'a  Ba  -  la 
like     to     Ba-la  -    nku,. 


Ma    -    i ,  ndi  -  no      m'wa  -  na      pi 

Moth  -  er,       where  shall      I        find    one 


# ^ 


P 


r  N  r  r  r  P 


1   -   nga   Ba  -  la    -    nku,- 
like     to      Ba-la   -    nku, . 


Ma  -     i,  i   -    nga   Ba-la    -    nku^ 

Moth  -  er,  like     to      Ba-la    -    nku^ 


«/: 


^m 


V  1   V 


^ 


^ 


^ 


Ma  -    i 

Moth 


1, 
er, 


Ma  -  i 
Moth 


1, 
er, 


Ma  -    i 
Moth 


1, 
er, 


Ma  -  ma-  i 
JIa  -  ma-  i 


^ 


P 


rit. 


a  tempo 


f    rj  i  J  p^ 


^m 


m       m 


ne.  Ma   -     i,  i    -   nga    Ba  -  la    -    nku.. 

ne.  Moth  -  er,         like     to      Ba-la   -    nku.- 


Wa    ka-ndi   zi    - 

He      it    was  who 


*  At  the  rests,  the  breath  is  taken  audibly,  like  an  indrawn  sig-h,  throughout  the  song. 


29231 


121 


^^ 


E 


r  r  p  ir  F  F  ^^ 


sa         ko    ;a-ka-na  -  ka:_ 


Ze  -   se       i    -    3i    nda-k;i      ^i-\va  -  na. 


brought  me   un-to  good  -  ly       things^:      All    these  in      ver-y    truth    I     did     pos  - 


$ 


^ 


r^;;    p    p   IP  ^^ 


V\'a     ka  -  ndi     ro    -    no  -  sa     ku-da-ka  -   la     -     a.  Ma  -   i, 

sess,  And  thro' him,  my      hus-band    I      be-held  great     joy.  Moth -er, 


i   J     n 


^^ 


i   -    np-a  Ba-la  -  nku, Ma  -   i     -     i,  Ma  -i     -      i,  Ma  -    i 

none  like  Ba-la  -  nku, Moth       -      er,  Moth      -       er,  Moth 


rff. 


a  (cfupo 


j;^-j  >  r  n  ^^^^  '^  r  rr  r  ^'^ '  ^  K^ 


i ,  Ma  -  ma-  i    -   ne, 

er,         Ma  -  ma-  i    -   ne 


Ma-    i,         i   -  ng'a  Ba-la-  nku -^e  -  se     i    - 

Moth-er,     none  like  Ba-la  -  nku._  Now   all  these 


M  M  r  r  H  '  r  P.  F  I  r  p  p  p  r  r 


?i      ZA  -  ndi    gu-mi   -  la,- 
sor-  rows  have  be-fall  -  en 


Wha    fu  -  io   -  mbo  wha-ngu\vhando  -  g^a,. 
me,         And  this  great  mis-er-y      is    mine     a   - 


i^i 


i  i^  r  P 


r   1 'J  ^  J 


I  -    ni  -  ni 

lone,  Weep-ing    my 


nda    si  -  wa     ndo    -   ga,_ 

sor-row,  I'm     left       a 


lone, 


Ma 

Moth 


1. 
er, 


J  i  r  r  l-J  ^ 


^ 


i   -   nga  Ba-la  -  nku, Ma  -    i     -     i.  Ma-  i     -      i.  Ma  -   i 

none  like  Ba-la  -  nku, Moth       -      er,         Moth     -       er  Moth 


i^S 


m^m 


r  iJ  r  r  r  r  i'^^ 


i,  Ma-ma-i    -    ne,         Ma  -    i,         i   -  nga  Ba-la  -nku.. 

er,  Ma-  ma- i    -    ne,        Moth-er,     none  like  Ba'-la  -  nku.. 


29331 


1S2 


From  the  Folk -Tale 

"How  the  Animals  Dug  Their  Well" 

Song  I 

The  Animals'  Dance-Song 


Not  fast  (J  =721 


^'i  ?[>  ip   F 


r  >  I  ^'  p  ;i  H'  r  J 


Chi  -  nya  nje-nje-Ie  -  ka     nje,      Chi  -   nya  nje -nje-le  -  ka     nje,      Chi - 
I'm    com-ing  jog-gy-jog   trot,     I'm       com-ing  jog-gy-jog    trot,      I'm 

Faster  (J=96) 
(spoi-e?/)  r     g       '        '       =       '       '        ' 


^  i  ji  i  j^   Ji     M  h   fi  h   H  ^1  W  h '  h.    h     n  HI 


nya   nje-nje-le  -  ka     nje,      ku  -    pu-tu,  ku-pu-tu,  bu-ku-ta   mphu  -  li! 
com-ing   jog-gy-jog    trot,      ku  -  pu-tu,  ku-pu -tu,  the  dust  is      fly-  ing! 


Spoken : 


Ti      no       lu     ka'nda 


ku'na, 


Va      Njou! 


I      give     my     place      to      you,       Sir      Elephant!     efc. 


*  The  h  is  an  aspirate;  "ph"  in  the  African  dialect  is  not  pronounced  'f ','  as  in  English,  but 
like  p  followed  by  an  aspirate  h. 


Song  II 

The  Hare's  Dance-Song 


Very  light  and  quick  (**=  les) 
Hand-claps  2*J  i  10  ^S     J)         J)  ^ \  ^    ^    '!     j)77|3J)J)y 


** 


8 


8 


»  i'-i'l'i??   p-f,  p'  f  ■[)   J^  J'  n     li!i  J' 


Na-ndi  Shu-lo    ku-pe  -  mbe-lau  no-w'ya  lin'? 

(See  next  page  for  English  version.) 


Ma-agwan! 


8 


±t 


2_J I  10   J)     J) J)_J :  J)    J)    7     J)   y    ^li  J)    J)     7 


8 


8 


8 


J'.   i'l',l'p    r  f  p-    [T   :p    J'  i'  JjJ    IJiJi   3   y    W 


Na  -  ndi  Shu-lo     ku-pe  -  mbe  -  laji    no-Dya   lin'?_  Ma-ngwan! 

(Sung  art  indefinite  number  of  times) 

*    The  hand-clapping-  is  only  used  for  dancing,  never  when  the  song  is  sung  by  a  story-teller 
as  part  of  the  narrated  tale. 

**  When  sung  a  second  time,  substitute  for  the  word"na'udi"  the  word"i'weV    When  sung  a 
third  time,  substitute  the  word  ''ku'ti','  and  for  "nof'ya",  substitute  "wozw'ya". 

29231 


The  Hare's  Dance-Song" 

(English  Paraphrase.) 


123 


Hand-claps 

{used  only  for 
dancing.) 


Very  light  and  quick  (^-  ics) 

2-J I  10  J)      J) JLJ2 .J)      j)     7    J)    7    r 


8 


8 


l^-Jiv/p    F  Pjp-  F  -P 


^ 


Hi,   0  Hare,  go-ing  a-way,    re  -  turn-ing   when? — 


_3_ 

8 


i 


X^ 


J- 


10     J)        j) 


JL 


8 


8 


^ 


i'l  i'  -J>    J^   y   ^1  ii  J''    i'  I V.'  p     (1  f.-  D  p-   E^ 


T'-mor  -  row! 


You,        0 


Hare,     go-ing     a-way,        re 


^     h    •>    i) 


J. 2L 


-i — y^ — *4--J 


10 


8 


8 


8 


# 


P 


i!  j.i  I  ■>  n  Jv  J 


^ 


-H- 


turn  -  ing      when?- 


T'-mor  -  row! 


If,         0 


10    J) J) JlJ2 ^.J) j)      7     J)     7     7 


X^ 


-irt 


8 


8 


I  'iV  P     f!  F  J  p-     [f   '  f>    ^' 


3 


^^ 


^^ 


■'     » 


Hare,  go-ing    a-way,      re  -    turn-ing     when?. 


T-mor-row! 


29231 


134 


J. 


'^J-  =  66) 


i^ 


Legend  of  the  Daughter  and  the  Slave 

"Lusi'nga,  Lusinga" 

Song  of  the  Cord 


LJ)-l 


^m 


^ 


1=^ 


g 


? 


Lu 

si    - 

nga, 

lu 

si    - 

ng-a, 

Da   - 

-    nda  -  li! 

0 

cord, 

0 

cord, 

Da   - 

-    nda  -  li! 

^mr^ 


p  fl   p    I  J'  ^ 


p  Ip    p 


Ku  - 

ti 

ndi 

li      - 

ni, 

Da    - 

-    nda  - 

li! 

Nda 

ka 

be 

If 

I 

am 

guilt    - 

y, 

Da    - 

-    nda  - 

li! 

And 

stole 

the 

JL^"   P    Ip    p    p    IM    P 


^^ 


E 


o-a 

-    nga, 

Da  - 

-  nda  -  li! 

Ga  -  ng-a    la 

chi  -  de, 

Da  - 

-  nda  -  li! 

trea 

-  sure, 

Da  - 

-  nda  -  li! 

Of     the     be 

-    lov  -  ed, 

Da- 

-  nda  -  li! 

kJ^^'  ^\  I  p  p  p'^p  p  p  I  J>  p^  J  p 


Lu  -   si  -  nga   da     -      wu  -  ka,      Da 
Then,  cord,       break      with    me.     Da 


-  nda  -  li! 
II da  -  li! 


Ndi     wi  -  le      mwa 

In  -  to-  the 


i 


P  P  P  I P  P  P-  I  ^''  ^'  P  I  p  f^P  I P  P  P 


Bu-ji,      Da 

Bu  -  ji.       Da 


-nda-li!         Ndi    zo       fi    -      la     mwo,    Da-         -nda-li! 
-nda-li!^      I'll    fall     and       per  -  ish,      Da-         -nda-li! 


*  The  D  is  given  a  slight  sound  of  dy,  or  di  before  the  a.   The  word  "Da'ndali"  is  supposed  to  im- 
itate the  twanging  whir  of  the  tightly  stretched  cord,  or  rope,  suspended  across  the  Buji  River. 


29231 


Legend  of  the  Daughter  and  the  Slave 

Lunga'no 

Legend 


las 


Slowly  and  very  plaintively  (^  =  7e) 
Hand-claps  3*  J J  l    <h        J  <b 


4 

Solo 


JlJi 


Solo  and  Chorus 

** 


''^ ^ r  p  r  r I p  ^    MP  ^^ 


Mai  Vd.  i 

Moth  -  er      she       was 


Ic    -    «a,       (Li 
say  -  ing,       (0 


nde,        li  -  nde! ) 
watch ,    0      watch ! ) 


I 


Solo 


* 


gs^i^ 


Solo  and  Chorus 


J'    I  J'     i'    J 


P    P    P' 


Ku  -    fa       kwa 
When      I  die, 


ng-u         pa  -    no, 
my        daugh-ter, 


(Li      -       nde,         li    -    nde!) 
(0  watch,      0        watch!) 


* 


^ 


*** 


a 


^ 


F     I  P     P 


^ 


E    - 

nda 

ku 

mu     - 

ku 

-    lu, 

(Li      ■ 

nde, 

li 

-    nde!) 

Go 

to 

el     - 

der 

sis   - 

ter, 

(0 

watch, 

0 

watch!) 

# 


i* 


^ 


g 


P       P       P 


Mu  - 

ku 

-   lu 

ndi    - 

ya 

-    ni? 

(Li 

nde. 

li 

-    nde!) 

Who 

is 

el 

der 

sis  - 

ter? 

(0 

watch, 

0 

watch!) 

i 


i^ 


^ 


P    P-    pip 


P     I  P     P 


Mu 

-  ku   - 

lu 

ndi 

Mwa-  li, 

(Li 

nde, 

li 

-    nde!) 

El   - 

-    der 

sis     ■ 

-     ter. 

Mwa  -  li. 

(0 

watch. 

0 

watch!) 

t 


kkz 


^ 


^ 


g 


1-r-r 


fe 


^ 


Mwa  -  li        wa 
Mwa  -  li,       she 


ndi  la    -    sha,  (Li 

hath     spurned  me,  (0 


nde,         li    -    nde!) 
watch,     0        watch!) 


*  Though  this  is  not  a  dance-song  and  therefore  the  rhythmic  accompaniment  of  stamp- 
ing or  clapping  is  not  an  intrinsic  part  of  the  song,  my  African  informant  involuntarily 
beat  this  rhythmic  figure  in  singing,    carried  throughout  the  song. 

**  When  the  tale,  of  which  this  song  is  a  part,  is  told,  the  group  of  listeners  join  in  the  re- 
frain "Li'nde,  li'nde"("0  watch,  0  watch")  which  ends  each  line  of  the  verse. 
#*#  Solo  and  Ghorus  throughout. 


29231 


126 


f^^ 


F  F^  P  IP 


^ 


F      Ip      P 


Ng-o 

-  ku 

-   da 

mu 

la    -    nda, 

(Li 

nde, 

li 

-     nde!) 

For 

to 

love 

.the 

slave  -  girl, 

(0 

watch , 

0 

watch!) 

$ 


^m 


^ 


^=1 


m 


^m 


Mai 

Vd. 

i 

le    - 

»a, 

(Li 

nde, 

li 

-    nde!) 

Moth 

-er, 

she 

was 

say  - 

ing, 

(0 

watch , 

0 

watch!) 

$ 


M^ 


P    P'     7    ^^     ^       P     I  P  ^ 


Ku  -   fa 

kwa 

-   ng-u 

pa    -    no , 

^Li 

nde, 

li 

-    nde!) 

S'hen     I 

die, 

my 

daugh  -  ter, 

(0 

watch, 

0 

watch!) 

i 


k^ 


^^ 


^    I  i>    J) 


^ 


r  p  r   ^^ 


E   - 

nda 

ku 

mu     - 

ku 

-    lu. 

(Li 

nde, 

li 

-    nde!) 

Go 

to 

el     - 

der 

sis  - 

.   ter, 

(0 

watch. 

0 

watch!) 

f#^ 


p   r    p   I  p    ■     p    i  F  ^ 


Mu  - 

ku  . 

■   lu 

ndi 

-    ya 

-    ni? 

Li 

nde, 

li 

-    nde!) 

Who 

is 

el     - 

der 

sis   - 

.    ter? 

0 

watch, 

0 

watch!") 

fefe 


J    I  i>    J> 


s 


m^m^ 


Mu 

-   ku 

-  lu 

ndi 

Mwa  -  li. 

.Li 

nde. 

li 

-     nde!) 

El 

-   der 

sis    - 

ter. 

Mwa  -  li, 

(0 

watch, 

0 

watch!) 

i 


^ 


H 


P"     F     I  P     ^        P      I  P      P 


Mwa-  li 

wa    - 

ndi 

la    -    sha, 

(Li 

nde. 

li 

-    nde!) 

Mwa  .  li, 

she 

hath 

spurned  me, 

(0 

watch. 

0 

watch!) 

i 


fet 


m^ 


g 


^^ 


Ng-o  ■ 

■  ku 

-   da 

mu 

la   -    nda. 

(Li 

nde. 

li 

-    nde!) 

For 

to 

love 

the 

slave  -  girl. 

(0 

watch. 

0 

watch!) 

29231 


/^asa-Go're 

Song  of  the  Sky-Maiden 


137 


In  moderate  time  (J  =  9b) 


'Nthu'zwa" 

(rattle) 


2j'j2JT^\j~r^r'T^ij  J   J  ..L^j — i 


The  Sky-maiden 


ju  •>  p  ipXp  f  ^'  ^''^''  ^'  p.  t'  p  p 


p 


Sa  -  iTi'du-mbi-we-we,  nde-ka- nde,  wo      chi-zwa  nthu -  zwa 
0     youth,  I     en-treatthee,  I     pray,heark-en  now,heark-en 
The  Chorus .      .     . 

J   J  J)        y 


Nya-la-la! 
Heed  her  not! 


XZJ. 


'i  J'   J'  ^'  ^-  iiJ'  m 


cofifitiue  throughout 


^ 


—r — 
ndo . 
pray. 


* 


ya    -       ngpu  -  yo   -   we,        r.dc    -    ka 
now  to        my      nthu   -  zwa,       I 


.f^         i         i) 


Sa 
0 


Nya  -  la    -    la! 
Heed    her      not! 


* 


^¥ 


#^^ 


^ 


m'du  -     nibi  -  we 
youth,      I        en 


» 


we,       nde  -    ka      -      nde. 
treat     thee,       I  pray. 


To    - 
0 


^^1 


ng-o 
look 


Nya  -  la    -    la! 
Heed    her      not! 


J 


% 


^        J^  J^       II J^        m 


^ 


^ 


li      -       ng-i  -   le    -     we,        nde    -    ka      -      nde. 
back,        0        look     back      now,       I  pray. 


J    J    ; 


Sa 
0 


^' 


Nya  -  la   -    la! 
Heed    her      not! 


29231 


128 


m'du   -    mbi  -  we    -   we,       nde  -    ka 
youth,       I         en  -  treat    thee,      I 


^^ 


P      F       P    M 


nde,     mwa  -  ha    -    we  ndo  -  da 

pray,     love  -  ly        child,        let      me 


^ 


I 


Nya  -  la  -  la! 
Heed  her    not! 


Ji    J^      J' 


E 


ka 
I 


ku     -      pi    -  nda    -    we,         nde 

go,  I         en   -    treat      thee, 


nde. 
pray. 


^5 


0 


Nya  -  la   -    la! 
Heed    her      not! 


J  r^      f" 


V    g  r    p    ^'  >  '  J'  -*'  p    p   F    P 


m'du  -    mbi  -  we    -    we,       nde  -    ka 
youth,       I         en  -  treat    thee,      I 


nde,     mwa  -  na    -   we        wo    -    chi 
pray,     love  -   ly        child,    0  look 


^^ 


Nya  -  la  -  la! 
Heed  her    not! 


i 


^ 


g^a 


^ 


li     - 

back, 


ng-i  -  la 
I        en 


we, 
treat 


nde 

thee. 


ka 
I 


nde. 
pray. 


J'     J^    J' 


Sa 
0 


^< 


Nya  -  la    -    la! 
Heed    her     not! 


i 


^ 


r    p.  r    p 


f 


m'du 
youth, 


mbi  -  we 
I  en 


we,       nde 

treat     thee. 


ka 
I 


nde, 
pray, 


W        *'       m' 


Ndo 
Re 


^' 


Nya  -  la 
Heed    her 


la! 

not! 


J 


^^ 


E 


da  kwe  -  nda  -  we,         nde   -    ka     -       nde! 

lease         me,      re  -  lease        me,        I  pray! 


^ 


29231 


Nya  -  la    -    la! 
Heed    her      not! 


189 


Often  the  foregoing  "Song  of  the  Sky-Maiden"  is  played  by  black  musicians  upon 
the  "Mali'mba"  (for  description  of  native  instruments  see  page  xvi);  the  song  is  then 
lengthened  with  the  following  interlude  played  between  repetitions  of  the  main  melody. 


§'i  ^     ^   p 


29231 


Zulu  Songs 


Zulu  Songs 


133 


(South  Africa) 

Recorded  from  the  singing  of  Madika'ne  Qandiya'ne  Ce'le 

Iga  ma  le  'Mpi 

Song-  of  War 

Sung  with  broad  declamation,  freedom  of  rhythm,  and  growing  excitement 


(J  =  92) 
Verse  1 


m 


w=^ 


£ 


Bl~n  I O  fl  B  J'  Jl  I  ^ 


? 


Se       -        nge              sa       -         ba     na 
Fear I  aught, what  fear 


ku  -  pi    we    ma  -  kos'? 
I,    ye    hos-tile    kings? 


m 


Mr      p   p  p  I  >^  f     J 


1 


Se     -      nge  sa      -      ba    'ku  -wel'  o 

Fear  I  aught,     fear    I      the  gul 


don  -  go   -    ni? 
ly  -  wall?_ 


^hl  J  J    i  J 


i 


^ 


^ 


Ti  -  na      si  -  ya    hlu 
And  shall  we    be    trou 


shwa     nga       be  -    zi  -  zwe  -  na? 

bled       by        these  hos-tile    stran-gers? 

in  time 


J,  -:  fjf  ~  tn  tin 

Ihi  p  (!  r  p J^  ip p  7  f'^>] ^^ 


m 


A-wu-ye  -  le-le-mam'!  A-wu-ye  -  le-le-mam'!  A-wu-ye  -  le-le-mam'! 

A-wu-ye  -  le-le-mam'!  A-wu-ye  -  le-le-mam'!  A-wu-ye  -  le-le-mam'! 


*  This  ejaculation,  "Awuye-le-le-mam'i"  may  be  repeated  any  number  of  times  with  various  tones 
and  accents,  the  two  melodic  figures  accompanying-  the  ejaculation  being  interchangeable, 
thus: 


A  -  wu  -  ye      -       le  -  le   -    mam'!  A  -  wu  -  ye     -       le  -  le    -    mam' I 


slower 


ill  time 


-rt ■   r     r ' f -^^^^ ■    ■ •'    • 

A-wu-ye   -  le-le-mam'!    A-wu-ye   -    le-le-mam'l  A-wu-ye  -   le-le-mam'! 

slower  171  time 

etc.,  etc. 


A-wu-ye 


le  -  le    -   mam'! 


A  -  wu  -  ye     -     le  -  le  -  mam'! 


29231 


134 


Verse  2 


Se 

Are 


81 

we 


bon 
watched 


wa         ng"a    be  -  zi  -  zwe  -  na? 

by  en  -    e  -  mies    and  stran-gers, 


# 


E 


P  litr'  pr  1^ 


f 


i 


-tn- 


f 


Li  -    zo      du  -  ma     lira' 
Then  our    light-ning  shall 


ta     -     te  no  -    96  -  ku  -  de      pelL 

strike   them,      strike  and  take  them  cap-tive. 


^ 


J  J]  lUiJJ  Ji^^ 


■NilJ  i 


E 


E 


•*Tr 


ye     nkos'!       A-wu-ye-le-le-mam'I      h'm      h'm  A-wn-ye-le-le-mamM 

Yea,  king!  {threuteningly) 


At  the  end  of  the  song,  the  ejaculation  is  improvised  upon  with  growing  excitement 
and  frenzy.  As  such  singing  is  extemporaneous  and  the  product  of  momentary  inspi  - 
ration  and  passion,  a  complete  transcription  of  the  song  is  impossible.      The  above  is 
merely  the  traditional  outline  upon  which  the  singer  improvises. The  line, 


'Ye   -    ka 
'•Trouble 


ing'ane 

not        ye 


is  chanted  at  the  end  of  each  verse. 


encane  ye        nkos!" 

the     child   of    the     Kingl" 


*  Here  the  singer  improvises  again: 


slower 


^m^ 


ia^ 


in  time 


I     i\   i\     ^         J^ 


A'  -  ye    -      le  -  le  -  mam'! 


A  -  wu  -ye   -    le  -  le  -  mam'l 


^ 


ji  jn.   I  ji  ji  J  ^m 


etc. 


le  -  le  -  mam'! 


A  -  wu  -  je 


A  -  wu  -  ye    -    le  -  le  -  mam'! 


29231 


Iga'ma  la  Bantwana 

Song  of  Children 
Lullaby 


135 


Sung  softly  and  with  swaying  rhythm 


(J- =50) 


^ 


»1 


^i¥^ 


^ 


f 


P 


rr  V  p 


0     tu  -  la,mntwa-na,  0      tu    -     la!     Un-yo  -  ko   a  -  ka- 
0   hush  thee,  ba  -  by,  0      hush   thee!  Thy  moth -er    is      not 


i 


M 


m 


p  If   ^  J  J>\i>ij  i>\'i    J' 


^ 


mu   -    ko,      U   -  se    -  le    'zin  -  ta  -  ben:, 
with     thee,   She    tar  -  ried  in      the      hills: 


U  -  hlu  -  shwa   i    -    zi  - 
The     zig  -  zag  trail   hath 


gwe  -  gwe,     I    -    wa! 
held      her,      I   -    wa! 


O       tu    -    la,  mntwa-na,   0 
0      hush     thee,   ba  -   by,   0 


i 


** 


*2 


*3 


m 


r  r   Ml 


^ 


^ 


tu 

la, 

Un   - 

yo     -    kou-  ze    - 

zo 

-     bu      . 

■    ya, 

A     - 

hiifih 

thee! 

Thy 

moth   -    er     soon 

IS 

com     - 

ing, 

She'll 

i 


« 


»i 


rtt . 


& 


g 


V  >    ^    II 


^ 


k'pa  -     te  -  lejn  -  to 
bring     thee    pret  -  ty 


en    -     hie,    I 
ber  -    ries,   I 


-  wa 

-  wa ! 


*1  Intervals  blurred  in  a  long  cooing:,  downward  slur  from  B  to  E. 

*2  Intervals  a  little  more  distinct  than  in  the  former  phrase,  because  of  the  pronouced  re- 
tard, but  all  the  indeterminate  sounds  in  the  downward  sweep,  from  interval  to  interval,  are 
heard  as  when  the  fing-er  slides  from  stop  to  stop  on  the  violin. 

*3  Note  between  Dj|  and  E. 


29231 


136 


Igarna  lo  Kusiha 

Dance-Song 
I 


Hand-claps.  The  rhythm  of  these  hand-claps  is  extemporaneous, depending  on  the  impulse 
of  the  singers.  As  a  rule,  when  the  voice  rises,  the  claps  are  more  frequent, and  when  it  sinks, 
the  claps  are  fewer. 

(J  =116) 


Hand-claps 


i^ 


-2X 


^ 


^ 


E 


Be  -  ng-i       le 
On     the       hill 


-I 


M  P    P    P"^ 


le      eg-qu    -    me    -  ni,        be    -      ngi 
side         I         slum-bered,     on  the 


m 


rz  n  > n  s~i  >n  n — , s~i  n 


le    - 

hill   - 


le     ngi,be-ngi       le      -       le^egqu   -   me   -  ni,       be    -    ngi 
side,_      on    the      hill    -     side        I        slum-bered,    on        the 


J J J i. 


J i. 


J- 


m 


^^ 


i 


P      P'     M 


P    T       P' 


le    - 

hill   - 


le     ngi    Be  -  ngi         le      -       le      egqu   -    me   -  ni,       be    -    ngi 
side^      On      the        hill    -     side         I        slum-bered,    on        the 


Hand- claps  | J^ 


n  n 


i 


r  g  IP  7  p^ 


f^ 


Be  -  ngi        le 
On      the       hill 


le     egqu    -  me  -  ni,       be    -    ngi 
side         I        slum-bered,    on        the 


29231 


137 


n  n  .n  J 


I* 


^ 


m 


m^ 


n  J 


^ 


1-^ 


le    - 

hill    - 


Ic    ngi,  be  -  ng-i 
side,_     on    the 


le     -       le      eg'qu  -  me   -   ni,       be    -     ngi 
hill    -    side        I       slum-bered,  on  the 


x:]  n  I  n 


■0 -0- 


n  n 


hk 


f   MP    7    P'^ 


PP 


le    - 
hill    - 


le    ng-i,  be  -  ng-i 
side,,      on    the 


le     -       le      eg'qu  -  me  -    ni,       be    -     ngfi 
hill    -    side        I       slum-bered,   on  the 


J      J      J 


-^ 


n    J- 


$ 


P  P  I  r    ?'   ^  \f  ?   P'  t 


^ 


^ 


le_ 

hill^ 


Be  -  ng-i 
On      the 


le     -      le       egqu-  -   me   -  ni,        be    -     ng"! 
hill    -    side         I        slum-bered,    on         the 


J J J i. 


J J. 


^ 


J. 


^ 


U  ^'  ^  \(    p'  J'l^^  P  p-  p 


le. 

hill^ 


ng-i    Be  -  ng-i 
On      the 


le     -      le      eg'qu  -  me  -  ni,        be    -    ng-i 
hill    -    side         I        slum-bered,    on         the 


J ;. 


^ 


JZU:i. 


m 


M 


^ 


^'  ^  \p  ?   vm 


le 

hill 


XI 


le    ng'i,  be  -ng-i 
bide,-       on    the 

n  J 


le      -       le      eg'qu  -   me  -    ni,        be   -    ng'i 
hill     -     side        I       slum-bered,    on        the 


n  J 


n   J 


m 


m 


^  p'  ^'  I  ^'  p  p-  p 


^ 


le    - 

hill    - 


ii 


X3_jn 


le    ng'i,  be-  ng'i 
side,_       on     the 


etc. 


le      -       le     eg'qu  -  me  -   ni,        be    -    ng'i 
hill     -     side        I       slum-bered,    on        the 


^m 


^ 


le 

hill 


^^^ 


P     P'    P  I 


J i. 


le    ng'i    Be  -  ng'i        le     -      le       eg'qu  -  me  -  ni,       be   -  ng'i 
side_       On      the       hill  -    side         I        slum-bered,  on       the 


etc. 


^ 


r     p  p 


le_ 

hill. 


P"     j!    IP     P      P'^ 


Be  -  ng'i       le     -     le      eg'qu  -  me  -  ni,       be  -  ng'i 
On      the       hill  -    side         I        slum-bered,  on       the 


29231 


138 


^^ 


le,_ 
hill,. 


^ 


^ 


^ 


be 

on 


P     P-    (! 


ngi      le 

the     hill 


le      egqu  -  me  -    ni,       be   -   ngi  le 

side        I       slum-bered.  on       the  hilL 


MP         P  P 


^^ 


le,- 
hill. 


be   -  npri       le    -     le      egqu  -  me  -  ni,       be  -  ngi 
on       the     hill  -  side        I      slum-bered,  on       the 


le_ 

hill,_ 


r  M  ir  p"  p  IP  c  p'  p 


M 


^ 


Be -ngi      le    -    le     egqu  -  me  -  ni,      be  -  ngi        le ngi,  be  -  ngi 

On   the     hill  -  side       I      slum-bered,  on      the        hill, on    the 


i 


S 


^ 


^ 


P   p-  p  I  r    ip 


^ 


Be-ngi      le    -     le     egqu  -  me  -   ni,       be  -  ngi        le,. 
On    the     hill  -  side       I      slum-bered,  on      the        hill,. 


be  -  ngi 
on    the 


i 


^ 


m 


^ 


^m 


p 


le    -     le     egqu  -  me  -  ni,        be  -  ngi      le 

hill  -  side       I       slum-bered,   on      the       hill. 


ngi  Be  -  ngi 
On     the 


^^ 


S 


P      P'    P    IP      P 


^^ 


le    -     le     egqu  -  me  -  ni,        be  -  ngi      le    -     lei'      e  -  zi    -     zwen'. 

hill  -  side        I       slum-bered,   on      the     hill,     slept    a-mong  stran- gers;. 


* 


^ 


^ 


^ 


P      P'     P 


^^ 


^ 


le     -      le       egqu  -  me    -    ni,         be    -    ngi  le 

hill   -    side         I        slum-bered,     on        the  hill,. 


le,    nga    ze 
Un-til 


nga 

my 


nga    ze - nga 
Un  -  til     my 


[I    P       P-     J'    I  ^'     P     P-     P     I    ^-  ^  ff'  ^  >      II 

mu  bo    -     na         s'ba  -    li:       'be     -     ngi      -      qwe       -        bal 


mu 
loved 


bo 

one 


na 
I 


s'ba  -    li:       'be     -     ngi 
saw:      she      beck  -   oned 


qwe 

me! . 


^       J  J'-         J       I    i'  J^        J^-       ^ 


^      i  \ 


f 


mu  bo    -     na         s'ba  -    li:       'be     -     ngi 

loved        one         I  saw:      she      beck  -  oned 


29231 


qwe 
me!- 


3a! 


Iga'ma  lo  Kusina 

Dance-Song 
II 


139 


The  rhythm  of  the  hand-claps  is  extemporaneous,  depending  on  the  impulse  of  the  singers. 
As  a  rule,  when  the  voice  rises, the  claps  are  more  frequent,  and  when  it  sinks,  the  claps  are 
fewer. 


Hand-claps 
First  voices 


'fn'i'M    p    p    J 


Second  voices 


(J  »HG> 
2 


n  n  ,n  I 


^ 


Du  -  bull    u   -    ngi       bam    -     be 
Shout!  she  kept    me        wait    -    ing 


^ 


^ 


^ 


m 


le  in    -    to      i 
for  one 


n n  ,r~i  n  >n n,i  }  ,}   j 


^ 


r    p  MP  r  P 


^ 


^ 


nye,       i  -  nye,       du  -  bul!  u    -  ng"i     bam  -  be 
thing,  one  thing,  shout!  she  kept  me      wait  -  ing 


le^in  -  to        'nye ;     Du     - 
for     one      thing;    Shout! 


pi 


r~3  J ifji  ,ni  i^jj  ij J. 


I  *\f>  I  J  J'  i.  J 


^ 


J'  J'  i>  ji 


bul!  u  -  ng-i    bara-be    -    lejn-to  'nye,_ 

she  kept  me    wait -ing         for     one         thing,. 


U  -  be  -  ngi 
She  kept   me 


Hand-claps 


m  n  ,nn,nr},nn,n  j 


p^ 


^ 


E 


■c    P  P 


r  r   ir  r  i;^ 


Du  -  bul!  u  -  ngi    bam  -  be    -    le^in-to        'nye,     du      -       bul!  u  -  ngi 
Shout!  she  kept  me    wait -ing        for     one      thing,    shout!  _   she  kept  me 


I»231 


140 


u 


J   J  ij  J  ,j    j  iJ n  I J  rjij  n 


m 


r  ^f  p  p 

t)u       -         bul!  u 


bam -be    -    le^in-to       'nye;      uu 
wait-ing        for     one     thing;    Shout! 


bul!  u   -  ng"i    bam- be    -    le  in-to 
she  kept  me    wait-ing        for     one 


J ij^j  ,nj 


*« 


s 


^^^ 


^ 


^ 


^ 


bam -be    -   le  in-to       'nye; 
wait-ing        for    one      thing; 


Du  -  bul!  u  -  ngi    bam -be    -    le  in-to 
Shoutlshe  kept  me    wait-ing        for     one 


J  -  n 


tst  ending 


4t # 


■n  I J   n  I J   r]  I J n 


u 


m 


^^^^ 


^ 


^^ 


^ 


'nye,  du  -  bul!  u  -  ngfi     bam -be     -     le^in-to  'nye.      Du - 

thing,  shout!  she  kept  me     wait-ing  for     one         thing.    Shout!. 


JOJ J i. 


-.L^^ mLJ ^J J 


i 


« 


m 


^^^ 


'nye ,      du 
thing,    shout! . 


bul!  u  -  ng-i     bam- be 
she  kept  me     ■v^ait -  ing 


lejn-to  'nye. 

for     one         thing. 


J 


U. 


2d  ending 


m 


:>  J'  }i  ji 


^ 


^ 


m 


'nye.  Du  -  bul!  u  -  ngi    bam  -  be     -     lejn  -  to         'nye,       i  -  nye, 

thing.        Shoutlshe  kept   me     wait-ing  for      one thing,  one  thing, 


^ 


r   F  p  I  r   r   i  ^^ 


^" 


'nye .    'Ve 
thing. 


-  le  -  le  -  t/iam',  '>«; 


-     le  -  le 


i 


*A 


n  }>   i.i  i,   K 


1 


m 


du  -  bul!  u  -  ng-i    bam-  be 
shout!  she  kept  me     wait-ing 


le^n-to         'nye,    'Ye 
for     one       thing^^ 


^^^ 


^ 


^ 


^^ 


ma  -   ma,  'nye,. 


Du  -  bul!  u  -  ngi 
Shout!  she  kept  me 


i 


u, 


m 


E 


P 


r  p  p  ip  M 


^ 


—      -    le  -  le  -    mam',    'Ye  - 


-    le  -  le    -    ma  -  ma,    'nye, . 


bam-  be 
wait  -  ing 


le  in  -  to 
for      one 


'nye,_ 
thing, 


29231 


u  -  be  -  ngi     bam  -  be 
she  kept   me     wait  -  ing 


141 


Ipi 


iA=p 


fc 


^ 


r  r  Mr  M  '  1^   "  ^ 

i  -  nye;       Du  -   bul!  u   -   nffi     bam  -  be    -     le 


nye;       Uu  -    bul!  u   -   ng"! 
one  thing;   Shout!  she  kept    me     wait  -  ing 


le in  -  to 

for      one 


i 


a 


* 


f'     i'  Ji    J^ 


^ 


^ 


le  in  -  to 

for      one 


'nye; 
thing; 


Du  -   bul!  u    -    ng"i     bam  -  be    -     le  in  -  to 
Shout!  she  kept    me     wait  -  ing         for     one 


('dhiS. 


m 


^  i>  i'  ji 


^ 


^5 


m 


nye, 
thing, 


du  -  bul!  u  -  ng"i    bam  -  be    -     Icjn-to 
shout! she  kept  me    wait -ing        for     one 


m 


m: 


nye,       i  -  nye. 
thing,   one  thing. 


w 


4        '4 


?^^ 


^' 


'nye,     non-ya  -   ka! 
thing,    till  this      year! . 


1  -  nye. 
one  thing. 


J 


*»*»  i>    J'  i>  Ji 


^ 


Du  -  bul!  u  -  ngi    bam  -  be 
Shout!  she  kept  me    wait  -  ing 


lejn-to         'nye,      'Ye 
for     one       thing, 


i 


ii 


fc 


h    }  Ji  J> 


?==f#^ 


^ 


Du  -  bul!  u  -  ngi    bam  -  be 
Shout!  she  kept  me    wait  -  ing 


lejn-to  'nye, 

for     one       thing. 


du  -  bul!  u  -  ngi 
shout!  she  kept  me 


^ 


p  r   P  p  I  r^ 


M  p   p  r     m 


le  -  le  -  niani\     'Ye 


le  -  ie    -    ma   -   ma,  'nye, 


* 


^ 


J)     i\  }>   J' 


bam-  be      -      lejn  -  to         'nye. 
wait  -  ing  for       one       thing. 


Du  -  bul!  u  -  ng"!     bam  -  be 
Shout!  she  kept  me     wait  -  ing 


m 


^ 


r      If    p  p  ip   M  ''1^  "    ir    r 

i  -  nye,      Du  -  bul!  u  -  ng-i   bam  -  be      -      le  in  -  to 


one  thing.  Shout!  she  kept  me  wait  -  ing  for      one 


M 


m 


m 


m 


lejn  -  to 
for     one 


'nye,      'Ye  - 
thing, 


-  le  -  le  -   mam',    'Ye    - 


29231 


i42 


* 


ft 


r    c  p  ip  p  ^ 


'nye,       i  -  nye,      du  -  bul!  u  -   ng"i    bam  -  be 
thing,    one  thing,  shout!  she  kept  me    wait  -  ing 


r  r  ir 


^ 


le  in-to        'nye,       i  -  nye; 
for     one     thing,    one  thing; 


-    le  -  le     -     ma  -  vta,  'nye,. 


^^ 


1  -  nye; 
one  thing; 


g¥»  ;,    J,  J.  J, 


^ 


^ 


» 


Du   -    bul!    u    -    ngi       bam   -    be      -       Ic  in  -  to 
Shout,    she  kept     me       wait    -    ing  for      one 


'nye,         non  -  ya 

thing,       till     this 


^ 


^ 


P      P    P 

Du    -    bul!  u 


^ 


^ 


Du    -    bul!  u    -    ngi       bam 
Shout!    she  kept      me       wait 


be 

ing 


le^in  -  to 
for       one 


'nye; 
thing; 


i 


Ui 


m 


r\ 


W 


m 


w 


w 


w 


kaTr 

year!. 


¥»-nJ^»^ 


E 


^^ 


>' 


Du  -  bul!  u  -   ngi     bam  -   be     -     lejn  -  to 
Shout!  she  kept    me     wait  -  ing  for      one 


'nye,      non-ya     -     ka! 
thing,     till   this       year! 


There  is  no  limit  to  the  number  of  times  that  the  phrases  of  this  song  may  be  repeated 
before  the  song  ends.  The  singers  sing  as  long  as  they  choose  and  stop  anywhere  they 
like,  usually  ending  on  long-drawn  tones,  as  though  the  song  were  dying  away.  There  is 
no  set  sequence  of  phrases,  but  the  above  transcription  aims  to  be  characteristic,  though 
explanation  must  be  made  that  this  song  may  fail  here  and  there  in  absolute  accuracy, owing 
to  uncertainties  on  the  part  of  the  Zulu  informant  and  to  the  extemporaneous  character  of 
the  song.  "We  go  up  to  the  high  part  just  whenever  we  feel  like  it,  and  fit  the  lower  part  in 
as  we  go  along,  and  we  repeat  when  we  want  to  and  we  clap  as  we  feel','  he  said.  This  re  - 
cord  is  therefore  a  piecing  together  of  fragments;  the  song  was  often  sung  for  me,  and  al- 
so recorded  twice  in  the  phonograph,  but  no  two  versions  were  just  alike, although  all  have 
the  same  essential  features.  My  method  was  to  note  the  song  from  the  singer,  and  from 
the  phonograph  cylinder.  Then,  having  recorded  the  song  both  on  paper  and  in  the  machine, 
I  played  the  record  on  the  phonograph,  and  the  Zulu  then  sang  the  second  part, thus  sing- 
ing a  duet  with  himself  and  furnishing  me  the  opportunity  of  hearing  both  parts  at  once 
for  the  transcription  of  the  second  part. 


29231 


Igama  lo  Tando 

Song  of  Love 
I 


143 


Free  in  tempo  and  rhapsodic  in  feeling. 
Slowly,  very  legato  (J  =  io4) 


J 


hhri]\^^J^'     p  iiiif  p— p]..^^ 


U-yez; 
He  com-eth, 


he 


u  -  ye 
com-eth. 


ze,  Ma- me! 
0  rap-ture, 


'y%fi^\\  J  J.  J        l|:U> 


^ 


Ho-lo,. 


ho  ■  lo,- 


J 


^ 


«1 


port. 


^ 


»n^  Tr  ^  p 


II'  ^  ^  (?•  M^^^ 


^3p=?= 


u  -  yez 

com-eth 


U 

the 


mo     -    ya ! 
strong    wind! 


An    u  -  yez',- 
He  com-eth. 


v^«tVi(^ju     i^^pj  p- ij'.^^ 


u 

0     he 


ho  -  lo,. 


ho-lo,    ho-lo,     ho-lo. 


*-: CT 

ho  -  lo, 


PN 


^k 


^m 


^ 


twp  v^r 


^ 


m 


ye  - 

com-eth,. 


ze,  Ma- me! 

0    rap-ture. 


u  -  yez'_      U 
com-eth_     the 


mo    -   ya! 
strong  wind! 


^■■»l[l'M  JiJ' 


¥^^ 


^^ 


^ 


£ 


ho-lo, 


ho  -  lo,_ 


ho-lo,  ho-lo,  ho-lo. 


*  Often  my  Zulu  informant  sang-  these  notes  on  the  second  instead  of  the  first  beats  of  the  bars. 
Indeed,  he  rarely  sang-  this  bass  part  twice  alike,  althoug-h  I  had  him  sing- it  at  least  fifty  times  . 
The  intervals  were  always  just  the  same,  but  their  rapport  with  the  melody  often  varied  slightly. 
When  questioned  he  explained  that  of  course  the  Zulu  had  no  written  music,  and  so  they  simply 
"fitted  the  lower  part  in  where  it  sounded  well,  following  the  melody."  The  "  Ho-lo"  is  pro- 
nounced with  a  deep,  hollow  sound. 


89231 


144 


J 


iA# 


Sung  with  resolution  and  power. 
in  strict  time 


»Vt  J)  J^  J    iJ-'  J)  J    li    \s^m 


Na  -   ku  -  ba 
Let      me  have 


se  -  ku     11 
but   his  robe, 


ba  -  nchi  la  -   ke  ngo 

and     the  mar-riage      vows 


'Mhl^ 


mi 


i^ 


Ko-ioT: 


ho-  lo,. 


ho  -  lo,. 


|!^A".ijj,^i    I 


lii   3  J   1-^ 


*    m 


sha-da    na-lo 
I    will  ut-ter 


ng-om  -  te  -        -  to! 
Bv  the_    law! 


Na  -  ku-ba         se  -  ku    li    - 
Let     me  have     but  his  robe, 


^m 


^ 


^ 


pps 


m 


f=^ 


0       0   • * 

ho  -lo;      ^ 


"\ 


ho-lo,  ho-lo,      ho-lo. 


M^ 


rv  Ji    h  ^''  J^ 


J'  J>  i  i  I  ^ 


± 


ba  -  nchi  la  -  ke         ngo 
and    the  mar-riage     vows 


sha-da     na  -  lo        ngom  -  te  - 
I      will    ut  -  ter        By         the. 


nhj  jj> 


f^ 


ho-  lo. 


ho-  lo, 


ho-  io, 


1  can  be  repeated  an  indefinite  number  of  times)        final  ending 


W 


Isfat 


m 


w 


JF#^ 


(f'  f  r'r  rn. 


r\ 


ff      fj 


to! 
law! 


i^n   u  -  yez',  to! 

For  he  com-eth,      he  law!. 


'/»ii»aJ)  ft  B- JJ'.  ^ 


~"       final  ending- 


ViW  ^'-^Mji^.p 


s 


ho-lo,  ho-lo,  ho-loT: 


ho-lo,    ho-lo,      ho-lo. 


29231 


Igama  lo  Ta'ndo 

Song  of  Love 
II 


145 


Rather  free  in  rhythm, and  with  gentle  melancholy. 
In  moderate  time  vJ  =  92) 


U       -         da     -      li      u  -  se       -     Ic     'ma  -  tshon',       U'  'ma    • 

My  dar    -     ling      stayed       in     the       West,     West    -   ward 


j  r'  M  r    ['  1)  II     Q  N-   r  r    f 


^ 


tsho  -    na    u  -  le    -     le    'ma  -  tshon'.       U       -       da     -     li     u-ham  -   ba        'ma  - 
far  -    ing,  he   slept      in     the      West.       My_        dar    -    ling    walked  toward  the 


W^ 


r  p  p 


^ 


p 


tshon', 

ka 

ca 

neu-ne 

West, 

slow, 

think 

-  ing     oi^     his 

ng-a  -  no 

lit  -  tie 


'can', 
one. 


U 
My- 


^ 


^m 


^   r     p 


da 

dar 


liji  -  se 
ling    stayed 


le 
in 


ma 
the 


tshon',. 
West , . 


ye 
he, 


ka       mta 
my       be 


^ 


f'    J       J'    Ji 


kwe    -    tu  u  -  se      -      le     'ma   -    tshon'. 
lov'd,        h"?  stayed      in     the         West. 


u     - 

da     - 

li  u  -  le 

le 

'ma 

My 

dar    - 

-    ling   slept 

in 

the 

t 


i)  J     JW' 


m 


—*-• — 

mam', 
las. 


tshon',         'u  -   ye    -      le   -  le 
West,  a  -    las, a 


mam'! 
las! 


Vowels  that  are  dropped  or  combined  with  the  same  vowel  at  the  end  of  a  preceding  word, 
are  indicated  by  an  apostrophe.  When  vowels  are  joined  with  other  vowels  on  one  note  (as 
in  Italian  singing),  they  are  bracketted  thus:  >_' 

Though  this  is  obviously  a  "white-man  tune",  the  melody  when  sung  with  the  soft  slur  - 
ring  melancholy  of  the  Bantu  voice  is  lifted  out  of  the  common  by  the  lingering  sweetness 
and  emotion  which  the  black  singer  pours  into  this  song. 


J9231 


146 


Iga'ma  lo  Tando 

Song  of  Love 
III 


Dreamy  and  rhapsodic;  very  legato;  free  t?i  tempo. 

(J- =60) 

*  * 


i^  ii  f~y 


r  h^  ^ 


^ 


<-r< 


^ 


^ 


E 


A 
Ah, 


wu-yi     -     ni-ye  -  le-le  - 
think—  of  this,    le-le 


ma-  m  ! . 
ma-  ra'! . 


r\^ 


r\ 


Ng-i 
For 


=?F 


r  Mr  F 


A      -     wu-yi     -      ni-ye  -  le-le 
Ah, think-  of  this,    le-le 


J 


^  J)  i>J'  r'pp  J^ 


-s-^ 


hla-ng-e-ne  -  ne ne  -  ku  -  lu  ng-om-tet';  — 

I      met   a      hun  -  dred  maid-ens,  in        truth; 


H  I  J)  J)  J' 


^^ 


J     J'  Jt 


ma  -    m'! 
ma   -    m'! 


Ng-i     hla-ng-e-ne  -  ne ne  -  ku  -   lu  ng-om- 

For       I      met  a      hun  -   dred  maid-ens,  in 


A 


^ 


^^Sii 


^m 


m 


A   -   wu -  yi      -      ni-ye    -    le-le     -   ma       -       m' 
Ah, think_     of    this,      le-le    -    ma       -        m'! 


^ 


^^ 


^^ 


tet'; 

truth;. 


A   -  vra  -  yi      ,-       ni-ye    -    le  -  le 
Ah, think of    this,      le-le 


*  These  pauses  are  of  irreg-ular  length,  the  first  being  held  longest,  the  second  a  little  shorter 
and  the  third  only  slightly  longer  than  the  actual  note -value. 


29231 


149 


J 


r\ 


F[^  r    [^ 


E 


^ 


^ 


II    I  ^ 


A 
Ah, 


wu-yi 
think. 


ni-ye    -    le  -  le    -    ma-m'!. 
of  this,     le  -  le    -    ma-m'!. 


Ng-i 
For 


^^ 


M 


r\ 


Lf '  r  Mr   p 


% 


ma 
ma 


m'! 

m'! 


A      -      wu-yi      -       ni  -  ye    -    le  -  le 
Ah, think_    of   this,      le  -  le 


J 


^^S 


^^ 


^^ 


-9^ 


hla 


ng-e-ne  -  ne ne-ku  -  lu    ng"om  -  tet'; 

I      met  a      hun  -   dred maid-ens,  in         truth, 


^^ 


^ 


1^      I    J^     ,^     J^ 


^^ 


f 


^« 


ma  -   m' ! . 
ma  -   m'!. 


Ngi      hla-ng-e-ne  -  ne 

For       I      met  a     hun 


ne-ku  -  lu    ngom- 
dred maid-ens,  in 


J 


(may  be  repeated  an  indefinite  number  of  times) 
I  First  eliding 


gl 


n\ 


i 


n\ 


r\ 


m 


^m 


s¥^ 


^ 


A-wu-yi  -  ni-ye -le-le  -ma    -   m'! 
Ah       think  of  this,  le-le  -ma    -   m'l 


A  -  wu-yi  -   ni-ye- le-le- 
Ah, think  of  this,  le-le- 


E 


il 


^ 


^ 


tet'; 

truth, 


A-wu-yi  -   ni-ye  -  le-le  -  ma 
Ah,_    think  of  this, le-le  -  ma 


m'! 
m'! 


^Final  ending 


^ 


^ 


I        i-      I  i- 


ma 
ma 


m'!- 
m'l. 


i 


^ 


^ 


.^'  r   u  ' 


m 


% 


A    -    wu  -  yi 

Ah, think. 


ni-ye    -     le-le     -     ma 
of    this,      le-le     -     ma 


m'!. 
m'!_ 


89231 


148 


Igamalo  Ta'ndo 

Song   of    Love 

IV 


Original  pitch,  taken  from  phonograph  record. 

Even,  flowing  rhythm;  long  pauses  on  the  first  note  of  each  phrase,  as  in 
dicatcd. 

(J- =  72) 


^s 


Mr    p  r    PIT    1?  t^ 


Ngi hla  -  nge  -   ne         nen    -    to     -    mbi     za  sc 

I saw     some  maid  -  ens       com   -   ing   from      the 


« 


r    ff  r   ff 


P         F 


=?=^ 


g 


^ 


nza    -    nsi,  Zi  twe  -   lejjg'-cu  -  nsu     -    la        ng"e    si    -    kwa 

South-  land,  Whose         wa  -   ter-jars   were     filled   with  pain       of 


e-^ 


r\ 


^ 


p 


=^^^ 


nte  - 

la, 

Za 

fi    - 

kae-6i    - 

bi   - 

ni 

za      lu          pa 

lov  - 

ers; 

They 

came 

un  -  to 

the 

lake 

and  poured  the 

^"  ii  f  f 


F  Hi  r   r  r   (t  i^^ 


=?=T^ 


la    -      za;  Wa fi    -    kajU-nog-  -  qa    -    4*>       '^^^      qa    -     qa  - 

pain        out;  Then_  came     to      me      the     Trou  -  bier,  came     and 


1 


^ 


i 


r  r   M  ,'i 


=F=F 


ze    -     la.  "Ng"i  ka  -  pe,    'Nog-  -  qa   -   qa,       ngi  -  ye       kwe- 

trem  -  bled.  "0  Trou- bier,  drive    me     North -ward,  to       the 


I 


^ 


^^m 


^ 


^h 


mm 


^ 


£ 


it 


li       pe-zu   -    lu, 
up-  per  coun- try, 


Ngo         fu   -  na  i-nto-mbi  en-hli  -  zi  -  yo      nga 
To  seek    a     maid    of       sin -gle  heart  and 


29231 


149 


m 


p  ^^r  F 


s 


=  2= 


5 


P  I'V    P 


^s 


yi    -    nye;  A  -  ma-  nye       an  -  hli    -   zi  -  yo       ng"a  mbi   -    li! 

faith  -  ful;  For    the     heart     of    these    is    false    and  dou  -    ble! 


< 


P 


^m 


g^=F 


i 


Ng-o         fu  -  nai-nto-mbi^n-hli  -  zi  -  yo        ng-a     yi    -    nye, 
To  seek     a^  maid    of"'      sin  -  gle  heart   and     faith -ful, 


ng-o 
to 


I 


M    ^    P       [^ 


W 


E 


£ 


9= 


E 


w 


i^ 


fu   .    naj-nto- mbi^n  -  hli   -  zi  -  yo        ng-a  yi     -    nye;  Ng-i-ye 

seek      a""  maid      of"        sin  -  gle  heart    and  faith  -  ful;  Fur-ther 


^ 


i 


^ 


^ 


^ 


kwe   -    li        pe  -  zu     -    lu,       Ng-o    fu 
North- ward     I      will       go,       Seek-ing 


na  i        -      nto    -    mbi,       en-  hli 
one  who      is         true.     For     the 


p    F  p  f  ir   F  M    Mr   M  M 


zi    -     yo     ng-a      yi 
heart     of    these    is 


nye,      A  -  ma -nye  an  -  hli 
false.    For  the  heart       of 


zi       -       yo     ng-a    mbi 
these, _     I     know,  is 


♦ 


m 


^^ 


i 


p^m 


p^f^ 


11,        A  -  ma-nyejin-hli  -    zi    -     yo    ngfa     mbi    -  li,         a-  ma-nye^n  -  hli 
false,  For   the  heart      of       these,    I     knOw,   is        false,   for  the  heart      of 


F    ^  I  ^    F  M     ^  '  P"    U 


n=M 


j^' 


zi  -      -yo  ng"a    mbi-  li,        a-ma-nye^an-hii  -  zi    -    yo   ng-a    mbi    -    li!" 
these,    I    know,  is      false,  for  the  heart     of     these,    I     know,  is  false!" 


*  Quarter-notes  here  have  the  value  of  the  preceding  dotted  quarters. 
29231 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX 

CHINDAU'  SONGS 

The  following  interlinear  translations  of  Chindau'  texts  have  been  spelled 
according  to  the  system  of  Dr.  Franz  Boas  of  Columbia  University  in 
collaboration  with  C.  Ka'mba  Sima'ngo. 

NOTE  FOR  THE  PRONUNCIATION  OF  CHINDAU'  TEXT 

Vowels  are  given  the  Continental  sounds. 

b  and  d  as  in  English. 

ch  as  in  English. 

dj  as  English  j  in  the  word  "joy." 

/  bilabial. 

h  as  in  English. 

g  always  hard. 

g  is  a  back-palatal  spirant. 

j  as  j  in  the  French  word  "jeu." 

k,  p,  t  pronounced  with  a  slight  glottal  stop. 

1  has  a  strong  lateral   trill,  but  few  repetitions   of  closure  only.      It   resembles 

therefore  a  weak  r.      In  some  dialects  the  r  character  is   more  pronounced 

than  in  others. 
n  as  English  n  in  "sink." 
In   the  combinations  of  m   and   n   with   following  spirant,   the  spirant  begins 

voiced  and  ends  voiceless, 
ph,  th,  kh  are  p,  t  and  k  followed  by  a  strong  aspiration, 
s  as  in  English. 

J  an  s  pronounced  with  rounded  lips, 
sh  as  in  English, 
w  and  y  as  in  English. 

2  as  z  in  the  word  "zeal,"  but  pronounced  with  rounded  lips. 

All  words,  unless  otherwise  indicated  have  the  accent  on  the  penultima. 

I 
AFRICAN  PROVERBS 

Ka  kulilila  mu  hana  che  hamba 

We  are  weeping  inside  as  tortoise 

crying  within   breast 

(the  word  being  here  used  symbolically   may  be  translated 
by  the  English  word  "heart'') 


II 

Houe 

dji  no 

teuela 

mulambo 

wadjo 

Fish 

they  do 

follow 

river 
course 

their  own 

153  ] 


154 

APPENDIX 

A       ndi 

/    am  not 

chalambi 

refusing 

III 
kunuma 

to  melt  fat 

pa 

on 

choto 

fire 

ngo  po 

/     on 

ndali 

it 

A    ndi 

/  can  not 

njriswi 

he  vanquished 

nge 

by 

IV 
chilo 

thing 

chichina 

without 

mulomo 

mouth 

Mulilo 

Fire 

WO            mbava 

of                thief 

V 

is  not  {the  thi 

au 

'ng  by 

tvhich  one  is) 

kotwi 

to  be  warmed 

Manthede 

Baboons 

a     no         yengana 

they  do            quarrel 

VI 

zvhile 

kurga            na 

eating            zvhen 

pa'              mfu'mfu 

in               danger 

a      no 


besana 


they  do     help  one  another 


Verse  1 
A    ndina 

/    have  no 

Vulombo 

misery 

distress 

famine 

poverty 

want 


mgana 

child 


Mateka 

Song  of  the  Rain  Ceremony 
I 


wokwenda 

to  go 


naye 

zi'ith 
(some  singers  add  the  word  "neni,"  me.) 

mai  we 

mother  a  syllable  used  for  accentuation  to  give  additional  emphasis 

to  a  word;  might  be  interpreted  "ay^/"  or  "yea!" 
"forsooth!"  or  in  other  cases  "indeed!" 
Meaning:  "/  have  no  child  to  go  with  me, — aye! 
Famine,  Mother,  woe!" 


Verse  2 
Ngoma 

Drum 


hulu-yo  ngo  gui;a  langu 

big  that  is  grave  my 

"  That  big  drum  is  my  grave." 


Verse  3 
Ndozo 

/  shall 


wgwa-mgo 

be  buried  in  {the  drum) 


no 


a  prefix  showing  that  death  is  future,  thus: 
''When  I  shall  die." 


'The  adverb  pa  means,  literally,  "on"  and  is  idiomatic  to  the  Chindau  language.    It  can  be  variously 
translated  by  "on,"  "in,"  "while"  and  "at." 


APPENDIX 


155 


ndafa 

I  die 


pano 

u'hen 

"/  shall  be  hurled  therein  zvhen  I  die!" 


Verse  4 

Chimukwilo  munochikonaoo 

The  upland  7nanner  you  do  know 

The  manner  of  the  upland  people 

"Do  you  knozv  the  upland  manner?" 


Verse  5 


mba     do  CO 

{of)  the  coast 


vamge 

Others 

haua      lu  koni 

do  not     it  {the  manner  of  drumming)  know 

"Others,  the  coast  people,  do  not  know  this  way  of  drumming." 


Mateka 

Rain  Ceremony 

II 

"Nyamakambala" 

"The  Thunder-of-the-East" 

Verse  1 

Nyamakambala 

Thunder-of  the-East 

tapela 

we  are  dying 

Verse  2 

mbuli 

yo 

pela                   nyamagka 

race 
seed 
people 

is 

dying                     this  year 

Verse  3 

Vali 

Mukwilo 

talova 

Those  of 
Ye 

the  upland 
or  highland 

we  are  dying 
we  perish 

Verse  4 

Vsix 

Those  of 
Ye 

Km      djombe 

by           sea 

tapela 

zve  are  dying 

Verse  5 

VaU 

Mamboni 

taloua 

Those  of 
Ye 

Mamhoni              we  perish 
{name  of  locality) 

IS6 


APPENDIX 


Verse  6 

Vali 

Those  of 
Ye 

Verse  7 

Those  of 


Ye 

Verse  8 
Nyamakambala 

Th  u  nder-of-the-East 


Mashanga 

Mashanga 
{name  of  locality) 


Nyalinge 

Nyalinge 
{name  of  locality) 


tapela 

we  are  dying 


taloi;a 

zve  perish 


tapela 

we  are  dying 


Salanyi 

Farewell 


Manthiki 

Spirit  Song 
I 

"Salanyi" 

"Farewell" 

ndoda  kwenda 

/  want  to  go 

ndo  mbuluka 

I  fly 


ka  kwenda 

/  am  going 


Mgo  chisale 

You  remain 

{Meaning:  "fFe  part,"  another  way  of  saying  "farewell.'") 


Manthiki 

Spirit  Song 

II 

"Nyamunjenje" 
''The  Bird" 


Nyamunjenje 

{Name  of  a  certain 
African  bird) 

Kumba  kwake 

to  home  his 

house 


woenda 

he  goes 


we-ye-wo-ye 

yes,  yes 


Shilimadji  we  madji 

Sea-water  bird  {syllable  for  emphasis)  sea-water 

(ShiU  =  bird;  madji  =  sea-water) 

shili  mbuluka  Wensia! 

bird         fly  {Symbolic  ''sneeze"  of  the  diviner  when  the  controlling  Spirit  is 

expelled  from  the  body.) 


J 


APPENDIX 


157 


Manthiki 

Spirit  Song 
III 


Vamalova 

He  zvlio  beats  the 


njeche 

little  ones 


va. 

he 


pano 

is  here 


Nyamuziya  woye 

He  zvho  knozi's 


va. 

he 


noziva 

ktiozvs 


Manthiki 

Spirit  Song 
IV 

"Nyamuzipa" 
"He  zvho  kfiozvs" 

eya  ye 

yes  {syllable  for  emphasis, 

denoting  "truly,"  or  "verily.") 


zo 

of 


vamge 

others 


eya  ye 

yes  {syllable  for  emphasis) 


'lumbo  r/o  Ludo 

So7ig  of  Love 

A     ndina 

wangu 

Muziya 

/    have  not 

rn_v  own, 

Muziya! 

{Proper  name  of  a  great  king.) 


Eyo  we 

Alas 


ndoda 

/  zvant 
I  desire 

or 
I  love 

'/is 
texts,  page 


kwa 

to 


Kwu 

to 


Mafui^e 

Dance  of  Girls 

mai  we 

mother  syllable  for  em.phasis 

{Meaning:  "my  mother's  home,'''  the  expression 
"to  mother,"  being  analogous  to  the  French 
"chez  ma  7nere") 
misha 
husband 


{My  husbajid's  home) 


interchangeable  with  r,  according  to  different  dialects.     See  note  on  pronunciation  of  Chindau' 
13. 


158 


APPENDIX 


Kwa  mai  nda  lega 

To  mother  I  left 

{I  left  my  mother's  home) 

ndoda  kwu  misha 

/  love  to  husband 

{I  love  my  husband's  ho7ne) 


eya 

yes 


Children's  Songs 

I 

"Mu-to-to-lile" 

{A  song  sung  by  children  zvhen  playing  in  the  rai?i.) 


Verse  1 

To-to 

lile 

{The  sound 
rain  falling 
in  drops) 

of 

pour  down 

mfula 

ngaine 

rain 

let 

it  rain 

Verse  2 

To-to 

lUe 

{The  sound 
rain  falling 
in  drops) 

of 

pour  dotvn 

makandwa 

azale 

pools 

full 

Verse  3 

Ti-zo 

ffe  -will 

shall 
(zo  implies 

future 

bumgila 

swim 

tense) 

Verse  4 

ti 

baye 

m< 

we 

sp, 

ear 

b: 

{Meaning:     Rain,  let  it  rain  down  till  the  pools  are  full. 
The  "to-to-lile"  is  tised  as  a  refrain.) 

mgo 

therein 


macheche 

bullfrog  {the  kind  with  a  red  breast.) 

{The  children  hunt  the  bullfrogs  with  little  sharp-pointed 
sticks  with  which  they  spear  their  prey.) 


II 


Cha-komba-komba 

To  hop,  limp  or 
go  on  one  leg 


cha 

of 


Mnth'alila 

a  proper  name  {from  the 
verb  "to  jump") 
{Meaning:  "This  is  Mnthalila's  hop.") 

'Pronounced  like  t,  followed  by  a  slightly  aspirant  /;. 


APPENDIX 


159 


III 

Mufili  zuma 

Body  dry  {dry  off,  evaporate) 

Kasila  o-mai 

quick  dry  {"you  are  dry'''  is  understood.) 


Laboring  Song 
I 

Song  of  the  Dock  Hands 

Kwaedja  no  makashot 

{Kunsha,  "day")  dazcns  zvith  freight 

boxes  to  haul 

NOTE:    The   word    "makashot"   is   the   augmentative   of   the    Portuguese    word    "Caixa,"    box. 
"Malaka"  (see  below),  is  derived  from  the  Portuguese  "marca." 

Djika  malaka 

turn  mark 

look  for  label 

NOTE:  "Djika"  means  to  turn,  to  turn  around  or  over.      In   this  case  it  means  to  turn  the  boxes  of 
freight  around  or  over  in  order  to  look  for  the  labels. 

Laboring  Song 
II 

"Male  Kamben'" 

"Money  in  Kamben'  " 


Male 

Money 

Eambeni 

{name  of  place) 

wa 

you 

izwa                   ndiyani 

told                      whom  by 
you  are  told 

Ti 

noda 

kushanda 

We 

want 

to  work 

Ti 

We 

ende 

go 

kanyi 

home     {"in 

order 

to  go  home,'"  is  understood) 

Imalenyi 

Hozv  much 

money? 

Ku 

To 


Pwita 

Dance-Song 
I 
{Called  after  the  "Pwita,''''  a  drum  used  in  this  kind  of  dance) 
musengele 


•lock 


{a  peculiar  carrying-chair,  or  litter,  like  a  hammock,  in  which 
travelers  are  carried  in  Portuguese  East  Africa.  This  litter  is 
called  by  the  Portuguese  "machila") 


i6o 


APPENDIX 


wa  Lunde 

ioT  {name  of  a  trading-post  on  the  river  of  the  same  name) 

we  salo  we  Lenda 

{syllable  for  emphasis)  {proper  name) 

signifying  ^'forsooth" 


you  are  remaining 

staying 
{staying  behind  is  understood) 


Mandibaye  ndini 

{proper  name)  I  am 

foya  yanguyo 

{a  piece  of  Indian  mine 

cloth  zcorn  as  a  garment 
by  the  African  natives) 

we  salo  we 

you  are  staying  {syllable  for  emphasis) 


or  '''indeed"^ 

wokwenda 

going 

we 

{syllable' for  emphasis) 


kwa 

to 


Lunde 

Lunde 


Lenda 

{proper  name) 


The  sentence  "'you  are  staying  behind?"  is  an  interrogation 
meaning  "will  you  stay  behind?" 


Mamani 

Alother 

[in  the  Isihlengwe  dialect]        mine 

chamalebtu 

beard 
{long  heard  is  understood  in  this  song) 

chingoda  ndeta 

birds n are  I  do 


Nthokodo 

Dance-Song 

II 

"Chamalebem" 

''The  Beard" 

wamina 

chingoda 

mamani 

m  \' 

bird-snare 

mother 

wamina 

my 
mine 


wamma 

my 


dadani 

father 
[in  the  Isihlengwe  dialect] 

zokudini  salanyi 

hozi'  farewell  to  ye 

{Meaning:  "What  shall  I  do?")       {You  remain  behind, 

or,  we  part) 

muchimga  kakwenda  kuno 

drink  I  am  going  nozv 

NOTE:  There  are  so  many  repetitions  in  the  verse-form  of  this  song,   that   the  above   interlinear 
translation  offers  only  the  actual  words  used  in  the  poem. 


Nthokodo 

.    Dance-Song 

III 

Baba 

va. 

lofala                   ngwena 

ino 

luma 

Father 

he 

married                    crocodile 

that 

bites 

.IPPEXDIX 


i6i 


Kufamba  mu  Kadeya 

Mocking-Song 
(Also  sung  for  dancing  and  played  on  the  "malimba") 

kadeya  mbudumbi 

like  that  {in  that  way,  ihus)  a  youth  {meaning  a 

young  man) 
mu  kadeya  mbudumbi 

you  like  that,  etc.  a  youth,  etc. 

mu  kadeya  mbupuntha  eya 

you  like  that,  etc.  a  maiden,  yes 

girl,  girlhood 

kadeya  mbupuntha 

like  that  a  maiden, 

girl,  girlhood 

NOTE:  In  this  song  any  verb  may  replace  the  verbs  Kufamba  and  Kutamba  in  order  to  mock  what 
the  young  person  may  be  doing,  such  as: 


Kufamba 

mu 

To  walk 

you 

eya 

Kutamba 

yes 

to  dance 

eya 

Kufamba 

yes 

to  walk 

Kutamba 

mu 

to  dance 

you 

Ku-seka  =  to  laugh 
Ku-ima  =  Xo  stand 


Ku-gala  =  X.o  sit 
Ku-mba  =  to  sing 


My  African  informant  stated  that  the  nearest  English  equivalent  to  the  satire  implied  in  the  African 
words  would  be: 

"Is  it  thus  that  a  young  man  should  walk! 

Is  it  thus  that  a  young  man  should  dance!  "  etc. 


ChUUo 

Lament 


Ndino 

/  shall 

muwana 

him  find 

pi 

when 

inga                    Balanku 

like                  {proper  name) 

mai 

mother 

mamaine 

(exclamation  meaning  "Oh 

mothi 

?r,  alas,  ivoe"  etc.) 

Wa 
He 

kandi              zisa 

did  me               bring 

ko 

to 

zakanaka 

goodly  things 

zese 

All 

izi 

these 

ndaka 

I  did 

ziwana 

possess  {"through  him''''  is  understood.) 

wa 

he 

kandi 

did  me 

Donesa 

show 

kudakala 

joy 

zese 

all 

izi 

these 
{"sorrows''^  ur, 

zandi 

have  me 
iderstood) 

gumila                   vga 

bej  alien                    this 

vulombo 

distress 

misery 

woe 

vgangu 

mine 

vga 

this 

ndoga                     inini 

alone                 myself  am 

nda 

/ 

siwa 

left 

ndoga 
alone 

1 62 

APPENDIX 

Folk-Tales 

Tale  No.  Ill 

Song  I 

Chinya        njenjeleka 

Jog-trot-trot 
{This  whole  world  vieans  a  jog- 

■trot.) 

nje 

trot 

Kuputu                   kuputu 

( These  syllables  de- 
note the  sou7id  of  any 
four-footed  animal  loping) 

bukuta' 

dust 

mphuUi 

flying 

Tino 
/ 

lu     kanda 

it       give 

kuna 

to 

Sir 

Njou 

Elephant 

« 

• 

t(          (t 

II 

II 

Nyati 

Buffalo 

tc 

((          <( 

II 

i( 

Shona 

Bush-Buck 

it 

II          11 

ii 

11 

Mphofu 

Elend  {a  kind  of  antelope) 

Meaning: 

/  give  the  song  over  to  Sir  Elephant, 

• 

Hamba 

Tortoise 

I  give  my  j 

or 
')lace  to  Sir  Buffalo, 

etc. 

Bongo 

Hyena 

1st  Verse 
Nandi 


Shulo 


0  You  Hare 

{A  summons, — vocative  case) 

unoyiya  lini 

You  will  come         when 


2nd  Verse 

Iwe 

You 


Shulo 

Hare 


Folk-Tales 

Tale  No.  Ill 
Song  II 

kupembela 

to  go  away 

mangwana' 

to-morrow 


'This  is  an  aspirate  A.     P/(   is  not  sounded  like   ph  in   English,  but  like  p  followed   by  an  aspirant, 
thus:  "m-p-hu-li." 

'  /'a  is  an  honorific,  like  Mr.  or  Sir,  used  by  the  natives  in  addressing  one  another. 

'Compare  with  Spanish  "Mariana,"  to-morrow. 


APPENDIX 

3rd  Verse 

Kuti 

Shulo 

wapembela 

// 

Hare 

he  goes  away 

Wo 

zo 

I'iya 

lini 

You 

will 

come 

when 

mangwana 

to-morrow 

163 


Legend  and  Song  of  the  Daughter  and  the  Slave 

Song  I 


Lusinga 

dandali' 

Cord 

ii'hirr,  vibrate 

Kuti 

ndi  -  lini 

nda 

if 

/          it  is 

that 

ganga 

la 

chide 

treasure 

of              the  beloved  wife 

lusinga 

dat/uka 

ndi 

cord 

break 

/ 

mga 

Budji 

ndi-zo 

into 

or  Buzi 

{name  of  the  river) 

/  shall 

fila 

mgo 

die 

into  or  within 

(it,  the  river, 

ka 

did 


be 

steal 


wile 

fall 


Legend  and  Song  of  the  Daughter  and  the  Slave 

Song  II 


Mai 

ua-i-leya 

linde^ 

Mother 

she  was  saying 

watch  {imperative  form  of  verb) 

Kufa' 

kwangu 

pano 

In  death 

7)1  ine 

when 

Enda 

ku 

mukulu 

go 

to 

elder 

sister 

Mukulu 

ndi 

yani 

Elder  sister 

she  is 

who 

'This  word  has  a  nasal  sound,  the  n  being  pronounced  as  in  French.  Also  there  is  a  subtle  sound  of 
y  ("dya'ndyali")  that  cannot  be  expressed  with  our  alphabet.  The  whole  word  excellently  imitates  the 
twanging  whirr  of  a  tightly  stretched,  vibrating  cord. 

^Meaning:  "Watch  the  birds." 

'Meaning:  "When  I  am  dead." 


164 


APPENDIX 


Mukulu  ndi  Mgali 

Elder  sister  she  is  {proper  name  of  a  woman) 

M^ali  wa-ndi  lasha 

Mwali  she  me  rejected 

Ngo  kuda  mulanda 

To  love  the  slave-girl 


Samudumbi-we 

0  youth 


Legend  and  Song  of  the  Sky-Maiden 

So7ig  of  the  Sky-Maiden 

ndekande 

prithee  or  I  pray 


("Mudumbi"  =  _vo!</A.     "^nxnudMrnhV^  is  the  vocative  case.     "We"  is  a  syllable  added  for 

emphasis,  in  this  case  to  denote  entreaty.) 

nyalala  wo  chizwa 

heed  not  you  listen  to 

nthuzwa  yanguyo-we 

a  musical  instrument  like  a  rattle.  my  {the  final  syllable  "civ"  is  for  emphasis) 

Tongo  lingile-we 

you  look  back  {"we"  emphatic  syllable) 

ndoda 

/  want 


mgana-we 

{'''mgana,'"  child,  here  used  as  a  term 
of  persuasion  or  endearment.     "We," 
emphatic  syllable) 

Kupinda-we 

to  go  ("we,"  emphatic  syllable) 

lingila-we 

look  back  ("we,"  emphatic  syllable) 

Kwenda-we 

to  go  C'we,"  emphatic  syllable) 


wochi 

you  {this  form  of  the  proposition  implies  entreaty) 

ndoda 

/  want 


ZULU  SONGS 

NOTE  FOR  THE  PRONUNCIATION  OF  ZULU  TEXT 

a  as  in  "father" 

b  has  two  sounds;  one,  as  in  English  and  the  other  as  in  bh. 

c  represents  the  "dental  click"  formed  by  pressing  the  tip  of  the  tongue  sharply 

against  the  front  teeth 

d  as  in  English 

e  as  in  "there" 

f  as  in  English 


APPENDIX  165 


g       always  hard 

h      as  in  English 

i       as  in  "ravine" 

j      as  in  English 

k     as  in  English 

I       as  in  English 

m     as  in  English 

n      as  in  English 

o      as  in  "nor" 

p      as  in  English 

q       represents  the  "palatal  click" 

r      not  used  in  these  texts 

s      as  in  "sail,"  never  the  z  sound 

t       as  in  English 

u     as  "00"  in  "moon" 

V      as  in  English 

w  represents  the  semi-vowel  u  when  combined  in  sound  with  another  vowel 
following  it.  The  sound  produced  and  represented  by  this  letter  is 
consequently  not  so  full  and  broad  as  in  English 

X      not  used  in  these  texts 

y      as  in  English 

z      as  in  English 

Note: — The  above  is  only  a  slight  indication  of  the  subtleties  and  peculiarities  of 
the  Zulu  language.  As  this  book  is  intended  primarily  for  the  general  reader, 
the  Zulu  sounds  have  been  reduced  as  nearly  as  possible  to  letters  pronounced 
as  in  English,  and  the  explanations  of  the  "clicks"  have  been  simplified  as  far 
as  possible.  The  student  is  referred,  however,  to  the  excellent  dictionaries 
of  the  Zulu  language  compiled  by  missionaries  and  contained  in  the  New  York 
Public  Library,  New  York  City  and  the  Congressional  Library,  Washington, 
D.  C.  The  various  sounds  of  the  Zulu  clicks  are  produced  by  suction;  the 
c  click  is  formed  by  pressing  the  tip  of  the  tongue  sharply  against  the  front 
teeth  in  t  position;  the  q  click  is  formed  by  striking  the  sides  of  the 
tongue  sharply  against  the  cheeks  as  in  "clucking"  to  a  horse;  the  most 
peculiar  "click"  consists  in  curling  the  tongue  backward  and  striking  it 
against  the  roof  of  the  mouth — all  these  sounds  are  impossible  of  tran- 
scription according  to  the  English  use  of  written  characters,  and  therefore 
it  has  been  deemed  wiser,  owing  to  the  nature  of  this  book,  to  avoid 
elaborate  indications  and  to  offer  merely  a  few  general  symbols.  Clicks  are 
generally  indicated  by  the  sign  ^  above  a  letter,  as  in  "Ce'le." 


Igama  le  'Mpi 
Song  of  JVar 

{Impi  is  the  word  for  war.     When  preceded  by  the  word  ''Le,"  the  "/" 
is  left  off  for  euphony.) 


i66  APPENDIX 


Igama 

A  native  song  (;'.  e.,  the  zcords  of  a  song;  the  tune  is  called  "Igama  Indhlela." 

le  'Mpi 

of  War 

Senge  saba 

Do  I  fear 

{from  the  ati.x.  verb  "sengase")  (v.  fear  anything  ace.  be  afraid  of  it.) 

nakupi  we 

■what,  anything  ye 

{from  "naku"  or  "nakhu,"  devions;  pron.)  {from  "wena,"  emphatic  pron.:   thou, 

thee;  pi.  ye.) 
ma-Kosi 
kings 

{abbreviated  form  of  the  plural  "ama-Kosi."  Sing,  "i-n  Kosi,"  the  King  or  head  chief, 
of  which  there  zvas  only  one  among  the  Zulus.  The  plural  form  here  denotes  Kings  of  hostile 
tribes.) 

ukuwela 

{to  fall  over,  or  into;  from  the  verb  "wela,"  to  fall  over,  into,  upon,  tozcards.  For  singing, 
the  word  is  abbreviated  "Kuwel.") 

odongeni 

/ro »i  "u-Donga"  n.  sing.:  the  wall  of  a  deep  gully  or  washed  away  channel  such  as  are 
common  in  the  up-country  flats  of  Zululand.  Compare  phrase  "ufele  odongeni  Iwamadoda" 
"he  has  died  in  the  mens  pit,"  i.  e.,  "he  has  died  the  death  of  a  brave  man  ;"  said  of  one  who 
has  been  killed  iti  battle  {phrase  from  Bryatit's  Dictionary  of  the  Zulu  Language). 

tina 

we 

("tina"  or  "thina",  emphatic  pron..-  we,  us.) 

siya  hlushwa  ngabezizwe  na 

we  are  troubled  by  strangers  interrogative 

{participle,  verb) 

awu-yelelemama 

{an  ejaculation  conveying  many  different  emotions,  according  to  when  it  is  used.  Sometimes 
it  means  admiration  or  surprise;  sometimes  it  means  "alas"  or  woe" ;  sometimes  it  means 
rapture  or  joy.     In  this  case  "woe"  is  of  course  understood.) 

yeka 

leave  alone  {s.  k.)  verb,  let  alone,  as  a  person  {ace.)  zvho  is  being  tormented  by  others. 

i-Ngane 

child 
{infant,  or  small  children;  but  parents  call  even  their.adult  children  by  this  name.) 

encane 

{Literally,  "little",  but  in  this  sense  the  whole  expression,  "i-Ngane  encane  ye  nKosi" 
means  the  royal  offspring,  or  the  descendant  of  Kings.) 

ye  nKosi 

of  the  King 


APPENDIX 


167 


Sesi 

■zve  are 


bonwa 

seen 


Second  I'erse 

ngabezizwe  na  lizo 

by  strangers  interrogative  it  shall 

enemies 


duma 

flash  with  lightning 

{lightning  will  strike;  the  Zulu  warrior  liken  themsehes  to  a  storm  with  thunder  and  lightning.) 


U 

it 


mutate 

captures  him  (it,  them),  or  shall  capture  {the  future  being  implied  by  the  previous 
"zo",  in  the  zvord  "/fzo"). 


nose  kude  pela 

even  the         distant  one  {ending  for  euphony  and  emphasis) 

ye  nKos 

yea  {derived  from  the  word  ''yebo'\  ''yes'').  {the)  King 


yeka  ingane 

let  alone  the  child 


encane 

little 


ye 

of 


nKos 

the  King 


or 
trouble  not 

{It  is  not  quite  clear  whether  the  expression  "yea,  King,''  means  that  the  Zulus  will  capture 
even  the  King  of  their  enemies,  or  is  an  affirmation  addressed  to  their  own  King.) 


Igama  la  Bantwana 

Song  of  Children 


O  tula 
0  hush 


usele 

she  tarried 
she  stayed 

izigwegwe 

zig-zag  trail 

O  tula 

0  hush 


akupatele 


mntwana 

child 


O  tula  unyoko  akamuko 

0  hush  thy  ?nother  she  is  not  here 

{from  "amuko".  ''Akamuko"  is  an 
attenuated  form  of  the  zvord  '"amuko" 
used  for  the  sake  of  the  rhythm.) 


ezintabeni 

in  the  mountains 


uhlushwa 

troubled  {by) 

iwa 

{a  meaningless  exclamation  to  imitate  the  sounds  made  by  a  baby.) 


mntwana 

child 


O  tula 

0  hush 


unyoko 

thy  mother 


she  will  bring  you 


into 

something 


uzezobuya 

she  zcill  return 
{from  the  word  "tizobuyo", 
attenuated  for  the  sake  of 
rhythm.) 

enhle 

pretty 
nice 
{in  this  sense  probably  fruit  or  berries.) 


i68 


APPENDIX 


Igama  lo  Kusina 

Song  of  Dance 


"Ukusina"=to  dance. 
"lo  kusina"  =  of  the  dance. 


Bengi 
/ 

lele 

slept 

egqumeni 
on  the  hillside 

bengi 

/ 

lei' 

slept 

Bengi 

lele 

ezizweni 

/ 

slept 

among  strangers 

nga 

zenga 

mu      bona' 

till 

/ 

sazv 

sibali 

my  beloved 

U-bengi 

she  me 

qweba 

beckoned 

Igama  lo  Kusina 

Song  of  Dance 
II 

Dubula  ungi  bambele 

Shout  she  me  kept  zvaiting 

{abbreviation  of  ubengi) 

ubengi  bambele  into 

She  me  kept  zcaiting  thing 

Awuyelelemama  nonyaka 

{ejaculation,  see  page  166)       this  year 

ubengi  bambele  into 

She  me  kept  zvaiting  {for)  thing 

ubengi  bambele  into 

She  me  kept  zcaiting  {for)  thing 


mye 

one 


into  inye 

thing  one 

{^''for  one  thing"  is  understood) 

nonyaka 

this  vear 


mye 

one 

inye 

nonyaka 

one 

this  xear 

"She  kept  me  waiting  for  one  thing  till  this  year." 


Igama  lo  Tando 

So7ig  of  Love 

I 
U-yeze  '         mame 

He  comes  Mother! 

is  coming  {Expression  of  joy,  to  be  translated  "0  Joy,"  or  "0  Rapture") 

'o  in  the  word  "bona"  is  pronounced  very  long. 


APPENDIX 


169 


D-yeze 

He  comes 
is  coming 

nakuba 

even 

ngoshada 
/  zvill  marry 


u-moya 

he,  the  wind 


seku 

though 

nalo 
it 


{for  as  the  -jjind  blozvs  and  none  can  stop  it,  so  he) 

libantchi  lake 

coat  his 

garment 

ngomteto 

/  will  by  the  lazv 

"He  comes,  O  Rapture 
He  comes,  he  the  wind. 
Even  though  but  his  garment, 
I  will  marry  it. 
I  will,  by  the  law." 


Igama  lo  Tando 

Song  of  Love 

n 

lUdaU 

usele 

ematshona 

He  or  she 

darling 

he  stayed 
she 

in  the  li'est 

Uye  ematshona                   ulele 

ematshona 

He  icent  to 
She 

the  West            he  slept 
she 

in  the  If'est 

UdaU 

uhamba 

ematshona 

kancane 

He  or  she 
darling 

he  zcalked  toward                the  If'est 
she 

very  slo', 

r/y 

unengane 

bearing  in 

his  mind  the  thought  of 

encane 

little 
one 

udali 

he  or  she 
darling 

usele 

ematshona 

yeka 

-mtakwetu' 

he  stayed 
she 

in  the  JVest 

he  is 
she 

viy  lover 
child 

Usele 

ematshona 

udali 

ulele 

ematshona 

He  s taxed 
She 

in  the  li'est 

he  or  she                 he  slept 
darling                  she 

Awu  yelelemam! 

Alas!     (see  page  166) 

in  the  West 

'C/is  the  second  and  third  person,  singular,  irrespective  of  gender;  it  can  mean  you,  or  he  or  she. 
The  word  "Udali"  is  a  corruption  of  the  English  word  "darling". 

-The  m  is  sounded  in  speaking,  like  a  whole  syllable — "«»i". 

NOTE:     This  song  may  be  sung  by  a  man  to  a  woman,  or  by  a  woman  to  a  man. 

'This  expression,  a  term  of  endearment  is  an  abbreviation  of  the  following:  "Mntwana  wa  Kwftu, 
Child  of  ours,"  meaning  "ray  child". 


170 


APPENDIX 


Igama  lo  Tando 

Song  of  Love 
IH 

Awu  yini 

{First  part  of  ejaculation,  think  of  of  this 

"Awu-yelelemama!" 

yelelemama 

{Last  part  of  ejaculation 

"Awu-yelelemama!"  ivliich  in  this  case  expresses  the  man's  joy. 

See  page  166) 

ngi  hlangene  nekulu 

/  met  a  hundred 

{maidens  is  understood) 


ngomteto 

in  truth 
{also  means,  "by  the  law"] 

) 

Igama  lo  Tando 

Song  of 

Love 

• 

IV 

Ngi 
/ 

hlangene 

met 

nentombi            za 

maidens           those 
girls 

se 

from 

of            {or,  thi 

nzansi 

South 
?  country  below  the  stream) 

zi 

twele 

were  carrying 

ugcunsula 

trouble 
{the  pain  of  lovers) 

nge 

in 

sikwantela 

water-jar 

za 

they 

fika 

came 

ecibini                    za                    lu                    palaza 

to  the  lake                 they                     it                       poured  out 
(cibi  =  lake)                        {referring  to  trouble)       scattered,  spilled 

wa 

he 

fika 

came 

Unogqaqa 

he  the  Troubler 

wa 

he 

qaqazela 

trembled 

ngi 

me 

kape 

push 
drive 

'Nogqaqa 

Troubler 

ngiye 
/  go 

kweli                pezulu 

to  the             upper  land 
{Northzvard) 

ngo 

to 

funa 

seek 

intombi 

maid 

enhliziyo 

whose  heart 

nga                   yinye 

is                         one 

amanye 

Other's 

anhliziyo             ,       nga 

heart                            is 

mbili 

tzvo 
double 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

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